Empty World
by BlackHowls
Summary: Dr.Akagi returns to an empty world... changed... confused... and alone.
1. Not so subtle changes

Disclaimer – NGE and all its characters are copyright their respected owners, but I'd hope everyone knows that by now.

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Ch-01-Not So Subtle Changes

"Why me…"

Former head scientist of Nerv Dr. Ritsuko Akagi thought as she crawled up the beach, collapsing face first into the sand as she tried to catch her breath. It was about midday as the sun shone down brightly, the intense summer heat on her back. "After all I've done, I don't deserve to come back." But she had somehow, and she almost felt like it was against her will that she was thrust to the surface of the sea of LCL, the strangely fresh air burning her lungs. "I didn't… want to…"

Recalling her own events as she was complemented into LCL, the hellish nightmare that seemed so surreal that she was unsure if it was all just a dream. She was forced to face the truths that she tried to deny and hide away her whole life. Coming face to face with family and friends and even some enemies, from Misato to Gendo then to Shinji and even her own mother… each showing her the rights and wrongs of her entire life until finally she was forced to confront herself… the worst of them all.

She sat on her knees and let her head hang low, tears threatening to spill as a hot angry rage welled inside. All her doppleganger did was remind Ritsuko of how much she hated herself, how much of a monster she truly was and how many lives she has ruined. In the end she wished she had never become a scientist, never followed her mother, never heard of NERV or SEELE, Angels and EVA. How she wished she could take it all back forget about Gendo and his plans. How she wished she hadn't even gotten involved with him in the first place, or at least treat the Eva children like human beings instead of tools.

She looked out across the giant sea of LCL only to stare into the giant monstrous face of the combined Rei Ayanami and Lilith as the remains slowly decayed. As she stared into the massive red soulless eyes Ritsuko cursed silently, damning the giant dead thing and hating it for what it did to everyone, to her. "I was dead, gone, shot through the heart." She spat, as she closed her eyes tight and balled her hands into a fist. "Why did you revert me? Why did you let me come back! Of all people, why not Misato, Hyuga, Maya... anyone but me!"

She let her fists pound the sand underneath her. "I'm so sorry, god Shinji… I'm so sorry." Perhaps if she did show the Ikari boy a little more kindness and helped Misato stop Gendo's secret insane selfish plans… none of this would have happened, and she wouldn't be here now on this beach alone. If only she could go back and undo all the wrongs she has done, if only she could have….

She inhaled deeply as her eyes shot open.

"Have… a second chance…?"

She sat up, suddenly feeling stupid. Of all her scientific accomplishments she couldn't figure out what all that just transpired was for. She was here now wasn't she? Alive? She wiped a single tear that rolled down her cheek, realizing that entire ordeal in the sea of LCL was for her to accept what she was, what she did, and realize she _could _change. Change for the better and start over again, rebuild and make things right. But how when there was no one in sight? Even the chirp of a bird or the song of a cicada was missing from the summer scene, replaced solely with the gentle breeze and the lapping of the orange sea.

She closed her eyes and sighed. _"If I came back… other have to be able as well. Those that deserve to, and I'll be waiting."_

Ritsuko took one last glance at the giant form of Rei before standing up and deciding it best to find some clothes, as she realized she was stark naked. But as she got up something felt odd, different. She stood to her full height and she noticed she felt… good, _really_ good. She inhaled deeply taking in the fresh cool air and for the first time in a while her lungs felt clear, as if she had never smoked a day in her life. There was also a strange ease to her movements, fluidity she has never felt in her life as each joint and muscle group moved and worked together flawlessly. Speaking of muscles…

She looked down at herself and let out a gasp in shock. Even if Ritsuko admitted to being a workaholic she did at least try to keep herself in shape…. but not like this, nowhere near anything _remotely_ like this. For lack of a better term, she was ripped! Looking like she was beyond an athlete, but just under being an amateur bodybuilder, her body was toned beyond anything she would have accomplished on her own even if she was given a trainer and the greatest gym in the world. Ritsuko looked back out at the sea of LCL with a puzzled look and a raised brow.

She remembered the time when Shinji was absorbed by unit 01, and when he was returned his body seemed rejuvenated any bruises and cuts had healed. But he wasn't improved on in any way that warranted physical changes. "I think you exaggerated a bit here…" She said to the orange sea as she raised an arm and flexed a bit, watching in awe as corded sinew moved under her skin. She was brought out of her discovery however as an eerie sensation took hold of her causing her to pause suddenly.

Out of the sounds of the lapping sea of LCL, a distinct noise grabbed her from her thoughts as her head snapped in its direction. It was barely audible but something about it set off something in her. She had never felt anything like it, as if every one of Ritsuko's senses suddenly began to flare with a message of warning that she couldn't shake off.

Chkt-chkt-chkt-SCREEEEETCHT

Instinctively she rolled to the side taken a bit by surprise at the speed of her own movement, dodging whatever the hell it was that had burst from the sand. Pushing herself up from all fours she regained her balance and tried to get a good look at it.

Chkt-chit-chit-chkt!

It chortled as it skittered on the sand. It resembled a mix between a spider and a crab as it scuttled along on many long spindly hair legs, yet it had the head and muzzle of an eyeless dog and was about the size of one as well. Its black and white carapace was covered in small bumpy spike like growths, while inside its mouth hundreds of spiny teeth crisscrossed this way and that. Being a scientist Ritsuko knew this wasn't anything she had seen before, and was not something that occurred in nature. How she would love to take this thing and examine it, dissect it, put it under a microscope and find out what it is. But considering right now it looked like it wanted to eat her made Ritsuko push her scientific instincts aside and led her to the conclusion that… well… it had to die.

The strange crablike thing lunged at her again, and again on steady agile legs she dodged it easily. Again and again it skittered and jumped, trying to snap and claw at her arms and face chattering and chortling in frustration. Finally Ritsuko dodged one last attack as it charged for her, kicking up sand as it ran. As she sidestepped at the last second, the crab-thing ran smack into a thin tree splintering the trunk, only to have the top half fall over and trap it.

Ritsuko took a step back, it may have been a small tree but it was still a tree! Realizing the force needed to break such a thing in half now had Ritsuko thinking that she greatly underestimated the strength of her attacker. "Oh hell…" Unfortunately she hadn't seen the end of it.

The creature squirmed and writhed under the branches and bark unable to get up. It let out a shrill cry sounding almost like it was annoyed beyond anything then opened up its carapace. Out from under the hairy black and white shell two huge pincer claws unfolded and grabbed hold of the tree trunk, easily lifting it and snapping it in too.

"Oh…hell!" Ritsuko began to back up faster as the thing tossed the tree aside like it was nothing then turn to face at her once more. It shrieked through its fanged mouth as it brought its claws up darting towards the woman faster then any previous attempts. It took split seconds for it to close the distance between them and leap ferociously at her. Ritsuko raised her arms in defense knowing it wouldn't do much, she just watched this thing tear into a tree! There was no possible way she could fight something that strong unless…

…unless she was stronger.

She stood there stunned as she caught the crab-thing by its claws and held it out in front of her. Its pointed tipped legs dangling and flailing as it tried to bite her, dripping a fetid coloured spittle from its mouth and snapping at her face and hands in hopes she would let go. Her grip was too strong for it to wriggle free and realizing this, it let out a high pitch screech that pierced the air and caused Ritsuko to wince in pain as it assaulted her eardrums.

"What… the hell... are you!?" She shouted over the wailing, barely able to hear herself. The thing continued to shriek and Ritsuko decided she had enough ear-bleeding pain for one day. Growling, she took one last good look at the unnatural thing in her hands, and then tightened her grip on the pincers so hard the shell cracked under her fingers. With one final movement she then quickly wrenched her arms apart in either direction. The thing yelped as it split in two, spilling a foul smelling greenish black ichor all over the beach sand.

Ritsuko looked at the twitching parts of the thing still held in either hand amazed at what she had just done. She was Dr.Akagi, known for her intellect and scientific prowess, brute strength was a term not usually used when describing her, but the look of her new body and the dead thing torn in half in front of her would say otherwise.

"What are you?" She dropped the ichor dripping parts of the thing to the sand before looking down at her own hands. "What am I for that matter?"

SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH!!

The same sound from the first time the thing made an appearance broke the silence, but this time it sounded like fifty of them all at once. She didn't bother trying to see where it came from; all she knew was that her body was tingling with an overwhelming warning telling her danger was nearby and to get the hell out of there. She didn't argue as she took off up the beach and towards the roads and buildings of the city.

She silently hoped she could find someone, anyone out in the concrete jungle and not more crab...dog…things. She picked up the pace as the sound of hundreds of legs skittering behind her could be heard.

"Great… I'm alone, naked and being chased by _CrabDogs_. I picked the perfect day to come back from the dead."

* * *

In a small rocky outcrop wearing only a large mans shirt and a pair of shorts that she had found, Maya Ibuki covered her ears and hoped the screeching would stop. Even if it was far away in the distance, Maya didn't want to even acknowledge those creatures were out there. She had just barely escaped her first encounter by tripping and falling down a rocky hill; the rocks were too loose that when the creature followed it caused a small landslide, crushing itself under the stones.

The second encounter, she was simply exploring and looking for other people when she stumbled on a nest of them. Luckily for Maya they were preoccupied with whatever corpse they were feasting on. Maya didn't think twice, or ponder what or who the corpse was; she just ran and ran until she came upon a familiar face. It was there she found the second child, Asuka, who lay lifeless on the sand in a bloody mess still in her plugsuit, her arm poorly wrapped already by an unknown party. Maya rushed to the girl, horrified at the state Asuka was in. She discovered she was still alive just barely, and was able to drag the child into a nearby cave.

"I can't stay here forever…" She said to herself as she tucked her legs in closer to her body. She looked back into the cave at the young girl, still unmoving but breathing ever so lightly. Maya had bandaged what she could of the girls injured head with a shirt she found, but she knew if she didn't get the girl some proper bandages, not to mention food, Asuka wouldn't last much longer.

"But I can't move her… I barely got her in here." Eyes tightened shut as tears rolled down her cheek, she hated how weak she could be sometimes but now someone's life was at stake. She came to the conclusion that she would have to leave to at least find Asuka some medical supplies.

"Sempai wouldn't be afraid, she would do what she'd have to…" The thought of her mentor scolding her at her cowardice cause Maya to whimper, but then she realized she was only scolding herself. "Sempai would never think that way…she would only encourage me to try harder." That thought made Maya feel slightly better, but the screeching sounds and the absolute loneliness didn't help break this shell of fear that had surrounded her.

"Still… I have to try. If not for my own sake, then hers." Looking at Asuka's frail form she frowned. "I have to try." She steeled her nerves and set her plan.

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A/N: this is NOT a RxM fic btw, Maya just happened to fit better in the storyline then some others at this point.

Also I'm not too sure where this idea came from or where I'm going with it, but I'm going somewhere at least...that and Akagi-san could always use more love! I got more written up, I just have to make it... not... suck.


	2. Best friends in the whole wide world

Disclaimer – NGE and all its characters are copyright their respected owners, but I'd hope everyone knows that by now.

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Ch-2 – Best friends in the whole wide world

Either people where in hiding or no one had yet returned to the land of the living yet, Ritsuko concluded as she walked down the eerily quiet and empty streets of the city. She had looked in on a few houses as she quietly stalked the streets, hoping to get a glimpse of at least one other soul or something she could use. Unfortunately the aftermath of the last battle not to mention the attack on the Geofront left the buildings and most of the city in near ruins. What had not collapsed was blocked by rubble, and what was left standing was of no use to her.

She moved from building to building as quietly as she could, even if it seemed like there was no one here. From her experience with the CrabDog she didn't want to grab the attention of anything else that could be lurking around. Her pace slowed she passed by a darkened alleyway between two office buildings, her ears twitched as she heard movement down the shadowed pathway and took a few steps to investigate.

The shadows from the building made it hard to see anything amongst the trashcans, dustbins and a rather badly rusted out car. She turned her head slightly and listened, taking another step in when a black mass moved further down. She was about to call out when a sensation overtook her, the same feeling she had back at the beach when she was attacked. She stopped, muscles freezing on their own accord while the hair on the back of her neck stood on end.

An incredibly deep growl resonated from down the alley and Ritsuko did not fight her instincts, slowly backing away and back to the street. _"To hell with that..." _Whatever was down there, she didn't want to disturb that was for sure.

Leaving the black shadow well enough alone, she continued her quest for clothes and spotted a sports store that didn't look too heavily barricaded. She gingerly made her way across the street to get a closer look, stepping lightly on the rocky pavement with her bare feet. Looking in she could see it was well stocked much to her delight, a pair of pants would be quite welcomed right about now. All that remained was to find a way inside the store.

"_Just my luck, the first place I find that's not destroyed is locked up_." Ristuko sighed at the large chain and padlock around the door as well as the chain screen behind the windows. She shook the door a bit before taking the heavy lock in her hand… "_Well, you can't blame them for protecting their business._" … and pulled on it out of frustration.

The sound of metal stretching filled her ears and took her by surprise. "That's… that's impossible…" She said out loud, the heavy lock still in her hand the silver loop stretched. She then remembered her encounter with the CrabDog or more precisely, what she did to it. So without anything to lose she planted her feet firmly on the ground and pulled with all her might.

All her might was obviously too much, as not only did the lock snap but the door was nearly pulled from its hinges as the metal chain was yanked against it. _"I... I couldn't have done that!" _Ritsuko stared at the broken lock in her hand for a few seconds beforeshaking off her disbelief. _"It was old and rusted… yeah… that's right." _

She dropped the padlock and untangled the chain, opening the damaged door a little more carefully then a normal person would, then entered store. She ran to the clothes grabbing the first white t-shirt she saw and slipped on a pair of black track pants, as well as snatching a pair of sneakers off the wall. Grabbing a black sporty duffel, bag she stuffed it with a few extra pieces of clothing along with some beef jerky packets and a pocket-knife that was sitting at the cash.

Thinking she had enough, she was about to leave when a thought crossed her mind. She turned and looked back to the sports equipment rack and spotted some aluminum baseball bats. There were creepy monsters crawling around outside, sure she may have torn one in half, but having some sort of weapon would make her feel just a bit safer especially if she were to meet more then one at a time. Not to mention she didn't even want to know what the hell that thing in the alleyway was.

Ritsuko took up the first silver bat she reached for then turned to leave, passing a full length dressing mirror on the wall as she walked by. She did a double take before doubling back to take a look at herself. The clothes only hid her new physique slightly as strong toned muscles stretched the white shirt she wore. Ritsuko felt awkward seeing herself like this, she was a scientist not a soldier! Her mind kept running wild trying to come up with a scientific reason as to how or why she was changed. She pushed those thoughts aside as she noticed her faux-blond hair had returned to its natural shade of brown. That didn't surprise her much; it was just the fact that she had been a blond for so long that suddenly seeing it back to normal was a bit jarring.

"I look just like you mother." She said, the words tasting foul in her mouth. She gave herself another look over placing two fingers on her stomach and tapping her rock hard abdomen. "Well… from the neck up anyway." She smirked, making a mental note to find some hair dye as soon as possible, then decided it was due time to leave. She would return to the beach and wait for someone else to emerge. Ritsuko concluded that for whatever reason she was given this strength didn't really matter, what did was how she would use it. Those CrabDog things were deadly and clearly had a taste for human flesh and she would be damned if she would sit by and allow people to get hurt knowing she had the power to stop it.

She just hoped the reason why she hasn't found anyone else was not because of those things, if so… well. She'd be a very pissed of bat wielding mad scientist now wouldn't she.

* * *

A mound of broken carapaces, torn limbs and slimy ichor surrounded the base of a large tree. The greenish black blood turning the surrounding dirt and sand an awkward colour. The dead corpses seem to be a deterrent to any other creepy critters that would wander too close, the smell of their dead siblings a fair warning to the predator hiding nearby.

Perched comfortably on a curved branch with a bloodied aluminum bat hanging from a nearby tree limb, Dr.Ritsuko Akagi gazed out across the orange sea occasionally taking a bite from a stick of beef jerky. She kept a sharp eye out for any signs of anyone emerging from the LCL. No one had appeared thus far to Ritsuko's dismay. She had stayed all night, falling just on the border of sleep as night after night fell to only give way to another uneventful dawn. All she saw was nothing but varied orange waves and the occasional CrabDog that got a little to brave for its own good. Now as she watched the sun slowly trail across the sky her mind began to wander, it may have only been three days but three days of isolation with no signs of human contact starts to play with your sanity.

On more then one occasion Ritsuko was certain she saw someone walking the beach, but every time she would investigate it would turn out to be just a lone bush or tree, or to her frustration was just another group of the carnivorous crab beasts. She dealt with them easy enough, growling fiercely and smashing happily as she let out her anger before returning to her spot in the tree.

Sighing and bored beyond the possible limits of boredom, Ritsuko wasn't sure just how much longer she could do this. When she first arrived she would break the monotony by smashing a few CrabDogs that wanted to take a bite out of her, it did kill the boredom for a little while and even gave her an idea. She thought of trying to kill them all, but for every one she killed it seemed two more would take its place, the new ones screaming its high pitch shriek that only ticked off the lone doctor. In the end their endless numbers and the ear piercing pain just didn't seem worth the trouble.

Now because she's killed so many of them, the crab things had started avoiding her as if they had quickly learned that they were no longer top of the food chain, and that this woman was a danger to their kind. Although she was glad they recognized her superiority, she was a bit disappointed that her only means of entertainment would now run away shrieking at the sight of her.

As her mind started getting the best of her she began to think. At first she thought she had been one of the first to emerge from the sea of LCL, but now... After seeing these strange carnivorous dangerous things and just how far they would go Ritsuko got the terrible feeling that perhaps she was actually one of the last. A cold feeling shivered throughout her body as the thought occurred to her, what if she was doomed to be alone for the rest of her 'new' life?

As the sun began it's slow afternoon decent on the horizon Ritsuko spotted what looked like rain clouds in the distance and was all but ready to give up. As much as she wanted to make sure people made it back all right, she couldn't possibly stay in a tree for god knows how long. Hunger and thirst were a factor, not to mention she could really use a shower. Grabbing her bat, she leaped down from the tree and decided to make her trek back up to the streets, her apartment was on the other side of town so either she would have to find a car with the keys nearby, or try someplace else. Misato's flat maybe, it was closer.

She stopped in her tracks as she saw something out the corner of her eye. It was a most familiar shape, different from when her mind would meld the shadows to trick her. She was certain this time, so much so that it made her heart skip and her hope rise. White shirt, blue pants brown hair… unmistakable, it had to be.

"Shinji?" She gasped breathlessly as she turned.

Nothing. Just a rocky hill with not even a tree that could have been mistaken for a person.

Ritsuko let her gaze linger not willing to accept defeat again. She knew she had seen something but as she looked over at the barren hill, all she saw was the backdrop of darkening clouds and the soon to be setting sun. She was angry, it was only three days yet it seemed her isolation was getting the best of her, causing her to see things that were never there.

A noise brought her back to reality, it sounded far off down the beach side but distinctly dissimilar from the skittering and chortling of the CrabDogs that she had become all too used to. She was tempted to just ignore it, first thinking it just another of the creatures doing whatever it is they do when they're not trying to kill something. But as she listened more intently she could just barely pick up a pattern to the sound, it almost sounded like…bare feet pounding in the sand!

"Someone is running from something!"

She darted into a pace that would have put an Olympic runner to shame, ignoring the critters and bounding over rocks and sand dunes as if they weren't even there. She ran for a good clip before she spotted someone in the distance who was indeed running from something, that something being none-other then her best friends in the whole wide world. Ritsuko growled loudly at the sight of it, Crabdogs were now top of the list of critters she hated.

* * *

"This is a bad dream! This isn't happening! This isn't happening!"

A young man in his early teens ran as fast as he could, the horde of huge crablike creatures hot on his heals chortling and chittering in anticipation of sinking fangs into soft fresh meat. He had managed to put some distance between himself and the things by running over a rocky patch, it seems they don't do so well on hard surfaces, but that only bought him a bit of time before they managed to catch back up.

He thought he saw the silhouette of someone up ahead in the distance, but that sight soon turned into the ground coming up to meet him as a clever crab-thing burst from the sand in front of him, tripping the boy in the process. He tried to scramble to his feet turning over to see the horde closing in on him fast and the one that tripped him meters away, maw opened and fangs dripping in anticipation.

A blur overhead caused him to freeze in place as the creature in front of him exploded into a mulch of goo and shell from the impact of an aluminum bat. He regained his senses and control of his body when he saw the form of a tall woman literally rip into the creatures with all the ferocity of a wild tiger. Chunks flew left and right as she smashed them, and when she couldn't get her bat up in time she grabbed and tore them apart bare handed.

"Whoa…" Was all the boy's brain was thinking as he watched the sight before him, grateful for the help and terrified at the woman's vicious assault at the same time.

The crab-things started backing off when too many were being annihilated by this newcomer, screaming at the woman for interfering with their prospected meal. The woman on the other hand clearly having had enough started shouting back, howling like a mad animal over the shrieking cries. This startled the crab-things enough that they decided perhaps this meal wasn't worth the effort, and they began backing off and burrowing back into the sand.

She turned to look at him and her face turned to one of surprise as she recognized the boy. "The fourth child! You're one of Shinji's friends aren't you?"

The boy flinched at being called the fourth child, painful frightening memories being brought to the surface from when he was inside Eva 03. He then focused on the woman, wracking his brain trying to remember where he'd seen her before. Yes, yes he did know her but he could have sworn she had blond hair back when he was chosen to pilot unit 03.

"Dr.Akagi right?" He asked as the woman nodded. "I-I'm Toji, Toji Suzuhara… you look different from when we first met." He didn't mean the hair, he meant the fact that she looked like she could dropkick a grizzly bear if it so much as looked at her wrong. "Where is everyone?"

Ritsuko pointed to the sea of LCL. "Hopefully still out there, and not in the bellies of these little annoyances." She kicked away a smashed corpse of a CrabDog.

"Yeah, thanks a bunch for helping me, I thought I was a goner!" Toji stood up only to be hit in the face with a pair of blue sweatpants. "Huh?" He looked down at himself, a bright red blush on his cheeks as he realized he had been naked for this whole encounter. "Thanks for these too!" He said as he slipped on the pants, his voice a pitch higher from embarrassment.

"Do you have someplace to go? You're actually the first person I've come across since I came back about three days ago." Ritsuko said as she fished around in her duffel bag for a shirt for the boy.

"Actually… I don't. The place I was staying was destroyed before all this weird stuff happened." He took the shirt and quickly pulled it over his head.

"I see, well Ill help you find some place safe if that's what you want."

The boy suddenly took on a sheepish look, rubbing his arm and rolling his foot in the sand. "You… you don't suppose… I mean… if its okay if... um… if I could stick with you for a while? I mean… I'm still a little disoriented about all that's happened and… well. You look … capable." Toji glanced behind the taller woman and pointed at the destruction she had caused.

Ritsuko smiled at the young man and let out a sigh of relief that he wasn't holding her past against her. She was practically responsible for forcing him into Eva unit 03, with him nearly not surviving the fiasco when the angel took over the unit itself.. He had actually ended up nearly losing a leg to the incident, which obviously wasn't a problem now seeing as how he was standing on two perfectly functional legs.

"As long as you're not a barrel of hormones…I'd be more then happy for the companionship. I was actually about to leave and find a place for the night before I heard you running."

"Thank you! I promise I won't be a burden!" Swallowing any comments revolving around _hot scientist, sexy doctor and 'oh my god she looks like supermodel athlete_', he took his place beside her as they began walking back up the beach towards the city. "Oh, and no offense Dr.Akagi…"

"Just call me Ritsuko, please, I'm not doctor of anything out here... not anymore."

"Oh-okay, Ritsuko. I- I think I preferred you as a blond."

Ritsuko Chuckled. "So did I. Remind me to fix that when I get the chance."

* * *

A/N hopefully only 2 more chapters until the plot decides to show up, just gotta work through the whole character/setting intro chapters first, then it will either get fun or just plain ridiculous. :P

Next chapter should be longer as well. Woot.


	3. Beastly Things

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Disclaimer – NGE and all its characters are copyright their respected owners, but I'd hope everyone knows that by now.

* * *

Ch- 03 – Beastly things

The rain began to fall putting a damper on Maya's spirit, her plans all but ruined.

It started out drizzling softly, slowly turning into an outright downpour by the time the sun had started to fall. Pools of water quickly rose up as the beach flooded, threatening to spill into the small cave.

Maya could barely see out as the rain fell harder and harder by the minute, but the LCL sea looked unaffected by the falling rain, the water beading and rolling off the LCL the same way oil and water would act. She prayed the rocky entrance to her shelter would hold back the pooling flood, and secretly wished that the rising rainwater would drown all the creepy spider crabs hiding under the sand.

_With my luck they'd probably turn into amphibious land sharks... _Maya cursed as she tried to maneuver a few larger stones to the entrance to block any water that made its way up to the cave. She let out a sigh when she could move no more, still a bit angry that her plans had been halted due to rain of all things.

"So much for that… Sorry Asuka…" She said as she returned to the second child and wiped the injured girl's brow with a damp cloth made from a piece of shirt, trying to remove as much of the blood and dirt from the girl's face as she could. "Just hold on, as soon as this rain stops I'll go. Even if its night time, no matter what. You just hold on."

Asuka seemed to hear her, as a slight moan escaped her lips. This only caused Maya to regret being afraid and letting their water supply run dangerously low. Maya moved herself so the younger girl's head was in her lap and not on the hard rock floor of the small cave. She continued to wipe away as much dirt as she could from the girl's face, hoping she would open her eyes just once.

"You just hold on… "

* * *

On more then one occasion Ritsuko may have made a colorful comment or two about Misato's flat, whether it being a total dump littered in beer cans and strewn clothes, to when it just could really do with a good sweeping and a new coat of paint. This took the cake though, and seeing the familiar place in its current condition left an ache in her heart. '_So much could have been avoided. I hope you can forgive me someday Misato.'_

"I really hope you weren't planning on staying here…" Toji said flatly as he sheltered himself from the rain with a piece of discarded cardboard that was quickly turning to mush. He and Ritsuko had walked all the way from the LCL beach to Misato's apartment complex, hoping that they would be lucky and find some familiar faces still living inside. Unfortunately the building was trashed, parts of the roof were caved in and the entryway was covered with rubble.

"Hrrm…" Ritsuko stared at the building in thought ignoring the soaking rain, a disappointed look on her face.

"Well… we can't just stand out here all night! Can't we go to your place or something?" Toji complained, then grumbled as Ritsuko walked past him ignoring him all together and walking to the side of the building. "Where are you going? The place is wrecked and obviously Shinji and Misato-san aren't here!" He stated as he followed her, wondering what the heck she could be so interested in. From what he can see there's absolutely nothing that can be used here.

"I thought I heard something… coming from up there." She pointed a few stories up to a broken window. "That's the side window to Misato's flat right?" She asked, not taking her focus from the broken window.

"Yeah I think so…" He replied, silently wondering how the hell she could hear something from a window so high up. "But how do you expect to ge-" He didn't finish his sentence, silenced as Ritsuko crouched down and without thinking jumped. "Holy crap…" Toji wondered if she even noticed how high she had just leaped, stepping off a lower windowsill to gain more height then clinging to the window frame as she peered into the flat.

"Oh no…"

"What? Is someone in there?" Toji shouted just barely hearing the dread in her voice. He could only watch as she disappeared into the building and left him standing out in the rain waiting. A good five minutes went by before she emerged with a towel wrapped bundle in her arms, jumping down to ground level as if it were only a few feet off the ground.

"Careful, he's weak." She handed Toji the bundle and pulled back the towel. The boy was currently freaking out, thinking she had just rescued someones baby from the building, and if so, why the heck would she hand it to him of all people!

Wark!

"PenPen!" Toji smiled at the sound of the warm water penguin relieved like hell it was an animal and not a human child. Not to mention glad to see he had survived the craziness of everything. "But Kensuke told me Hikari was taking care of you? You stupid penguin did you waddle back home or something?"

_Wark…_

"Missed Misato-san huh? Well I can't blame ya…"

WarkWark…

Toji's smile faded when he noticed the penguins normal loud bark sounded raspy, not to mention his feathers had lost a lot of the healthy natural shine they used to have. He also noticed the normally fat penguin felt rather light. "Ah, you're starving! Ritsuko-san we need to get him some food and out of this rain!"

Toji may not have known PenPen all that well, heck from the times he had visited Shinji he would admit that he'd been a little apprehensive towards the animal. But Toji knew that he was Misato-san's good friend, and seeing the penguin like this gave him the sudden feeling that he owed it to Misato to take care of the little guy now.

Ritsuko nodded in agreement, and without another word began searching the cars strewn about the street. She pulled on door handles and peered through windows hoping for any sign of keys left behind.

Locked. Locked. Locked. Clunk!

"Bingo!" She cheered as a red rusty old minivan opened, keys left on the drivers seat. "Looks like there's gas, come on my apartment is across town and I'd rather not have to walk it in this rain." she said as she got in the car... then got back out, pushed out about a hundred used coffee cups, then got back in again. _'The owner must be related to Misato...'_

Toji didn't argue and with PenPen in arm he quickly hopped into the passenger seat. Hey it may not have been a limo but it had four wheels and worked... sort of... barely. After about five minutes of trying to start the car, four minutes trying to get the horn to shut up, and five more minutes of wondering if that 'old man wheeze' coming from the engine would ever stop they were on there way.

Ritsuko had to take some cleaver shortcuts to avoid the abandoned traffic that blocked streets and roads, even occasionally using the sidewalk as a freeway. It took a while, but eventually the old clunker of a van pulled up outside her flat, and just in time too, for the clouds had decided to go psycho causing the rain to fall down so hard that it hurt to be under it. She didn't have her key obviously; she didn't even think about using it anyway and instead just kicked in the door and got the two of them (plus one penguin) out of the downpour of the century.

"Nice place, I was kind of expecting more… I dunno… science... stuff to be around, but this is nice too." Toji commented as he flicked a light switch, somewhat hoping to shine a little light on the sparse room. He knew there was no power anywhere but he still tried out of habit. He was then handed a towel and some dry clothes that Ritsuko had plundered from the sports store she had found the day before.

"I'm sorry to disappoint, but I rarely come home and when I do I'm not exactly in the mood to work. By the way, there's a guest room down the hall to the right, you and PenPen can be roommates. Make yourselves at home I guess." She said as she disappeared into her own room.

Stripping off the soaking wet clothes she hunted in her closet for something to wear, forgetting about some physical changes she had gone through. "Ah hell…" She swore as an old top she had stretched poorly over her frame, she realized none of her old outfits would fit, or at least fit comfortably. Instead she opted for an old white t-shirt and a pair of black sweatpants, the only difference from the sport store apparel was that these were much _much_ dryer.

As she returned to check on Toji, she found him in the kitchen slicing up some old hotdogs that he had found in the fridge. She gave him a worried look that he didn't see, but was obviously expecting.

"Before you say anything, no, these aren't for me. Even if the pack wasn't open the expiry date was… well… lets just say its not even there anymore. You weren't kidding when you said you didn't come home much were you." Toji said not looking up from his dicing. "I just figured PenPen would appreciate some protein no matter what form it took."

"Ill leave him in your charge then." Satisfied that PenPen would be in good hands, she began rummaging through her own cupboards for anything remotely edible for the two of them. All she found was a jar of peanut butter and a pack of plain crackers. "Well…" She sighed. "It's not steak, but at least its something."

They ate in silence, well… as silent as two people eating crackers could be, even PenPen didn't make a sound as he gormandized his less then fantastic meal. He seemed grateful for it, only making it more evident that he had gone sometime without food. All three drank whatever was in the fridge… meaning bottled water. Without anyplace having power Ritsuko didn't trust the tap water therefore they had to use their imaginations as they drank the room temperature beverage.

"I'll go out and find something a bit more nutritious when this rain ends… or at least lets up a little bit." Ritsuko said, taking a glance at a nearby window and seeing endless black clouds and heavy _heavy _rain.

"You want me to come with you?" Toji asked quietly, not liking the idea of being left alone.

"No, we still don't know if anything is lurking out there. I won't be taking the van until we can stock up on gas just in case we need to leave here in a hurry. Besides, I'll probably be able to move faster on my own anyway."

Upon hearing that last part, Toji couldn't hold it in any longer and just had to ask the question that had been bugging him since she had found him at the beach. "A-about that… um…. I couldn't help but notice you seem kind of… different. I mean y'know its not everyday you see a woman able to nearly jump an apartment complex…"

"Heh, yeah that kind of took me by surprise. I was just trying to jump up to the first floor window… guess I overshot it huh?" She chuckled. "But honestly, I just don't know and… it kind of scares me."

"Why would you be scared? Seems pretty cool to me. I mean all I got was my leg back, I'm grateful sure, but after seeing you in action today... I feel like I got jipped"

"I guess it's just the unknown factors, what if I turn out no different from those Crabbeasts we saw…" She sighed. "What I wouldn't give for my old lab and a microscope…."

Toji sneered. "What so you can turn yourself into a science project? I say just accept it, your strong, your fast, and you can help people isn't that all that matters?"

Ritsuko looked at the boy as if she was about to give the '_but you don't understand' _speech, but decided against it. He was right after all, analyzing herself just might turn up results she wouldn't like. "Your right. Thank you Toji." She got up from the table dusting any crumbs that had fallen off of her. "Get some sleep, it has to be pretty late by now and we've been moving all day."

Toji nodded, then got up and dusted himself off just as she did. Gently picking up PenPen and retreating to the guest room for what would hopefully be a good nights sleep.

"Help people huh?" Ritsuko said to herself as she took a spot in front her main window and watched the rainfall. "Too bad there's no one out there to help…"

* * *

The rain was coming down harder now, hitting the windows with a force one would mistake for hail. Ritsuko had not seen rain like this in … well… ever. Rain was rare nowadays, the result of the changed environment ever since the second impact and the melting of the polar icecaps.

"Ritsuko-san?"

Ritsuko turned from her spot on the floor as the voice took her from her thoughts. "Can't sleep?" She asked, or rather stated from the tired disheveled look Toji was currently sporting.

"No… you?"

"Nah." She turned back to the rain, green eyes catching whatever reflective light there was.

The boy stood there for a moment, listening to the pounding of the rain in the dark. He wanted to say something, but either his pride or how embarrassing the question would sound kept his mouth from accepting orders from his brain. Instead he took a few steps forward until he was standing next to the sitting form of the strange, powerful woman that had saved his life earlier that morning, and then sat down beside her.

There was an awkward silence between them, a silence that lingered until the sound of the falling rain hitting the house and the window became almost deafening. It was Ritsuko who broke the tension, bringing the rain back down to a normal volume knowing full well what had to be done. She raised her arm in an inviting gesture and without a word; the boy gently slid closer pressing himself against her side.

"Better?" She asked, feeling the boy relax against her as she wrapped her arm around him protectively.

"Yeah…" He slowly let his head lean into her, not wanting to seem like he was a coward, yet also didn't want to seem like he was just trying to get closer to the only woman he had seen all day. He could practically hear all his female classmates screaming _pervert_ over and over. He shook the thoughts away, finally feeling safe since he woke up this morning."Is this a storm? I've seen rain, just never this crazy."

"I guess. We have no idea how long we were gone and with no one left… maybe the environment is taking the chance to reset itself."

"Sounds right enough." Toji sighed as he thought about it, only feeling a headache coming on. "Sorry… I wasn't very good at this whole science thing. Everyone at school pretty much labeled me the jock." What he wouldn't give to be back in school, even if he hated it, just to be able to see all his friends again alive and well…

KRACK-THOOM!

Both flinched as a sudden freak bolt of lighting struck nearby, its thunder almost following immediately. Ritsuko tightened her arm around the boy for reassurance; she could feel his body shaking slightly as he let out a breath he had been holding. He calmed again after a few breaths, and soon the silence returned as both looked out to the falling rain, ever so slowly nodding off as the night wore on.

**Wark!**

Somehow both of them held in a scream, the warm water penguin may as well have been a CrabDog, nearly scaring the two right out of their skin.

"PenPen you! You... you stupid penguin!" Toji both yelled and laughed at the beast as he tried to stop shaking from the initial fright.

"Guess he's a little scared too. Care to join us PenPen?" Ritsuko said, as she motioned for the penguin to come closer. PenPen didn't hesitate, waddling as fast as his little legs could and snuggling in between Toji and Ritsuko, relishing in a feeling of safety and warm body heat.

Another moment of silence went by before Ritsuko felt a nudging in her side. It may have only been the Penguin trying to get more comfortable but to her it felt as if he was urging her to ask a question that had been plaguing her mind since she had found the boy.

"Toji?"

"Yeah?" He answered through a yawn drowsily.

"I couldn't help but notice… that... well…" She carefully thought for a moment on how to phrase her thoughts. "It's just you seem rather trusting towards someone who forced you into a situation that almost got you killed."

"I don't blame you for that." He said softly, not moving from his position. "Sure I didn't really want to be the pilot, I saw what Shinji had to go through but… Thinking that maybe I could make a difference in the world too, it made it all worth it. What happened to me was a freak accident. You or Shinji or even Misato couldn't have changed that."

"Yes… we could have." Ritsuko darkly as shame slipped into her voice. He didn't really know that it wasn't Shinji that stopped 03, he was only hurt because they had initiated the dummy plug system causing 01 to act on its own. "You nearly died because we took control away from Shinji… I watched as you were ripped from the unit. No one cared, none of us cared about you… all we wanted was the angel destroyed, all we wanted…"

"Stop."

Toji didn't let her continue, and instead lifted his head and looked into her green eyes. "I said I don't blame you, leave it at that. K?"

"But, you have no idea what I've done! The magnitude of everything I was taking part in willingly. What I had planned for Shinji, what the Eva's really were, even Rei for crying out loud."

"I said stop!" He shouted as he moved from his spot, silencing her and causing the penguin between them to squeak in fear. "We're here now aren't we? Alive and surviving? I don't want to know what happened, I don't want to know what you were a part of because frankly I probably wouldn't understand a thing you said!"

His arms suddenly wrapped around her waist, squeezing her as tight as he could with poor PenPen caught between. "You saved my life alright, I think that makes up for some of what you're blaming yourself for. So stop it. Stop being all emotional about a past we can't change and mistakes we regret because I need you to be strong, I need you to protect me and I need you to protect PenPen and anyone else we might run into. OK?"

He stared at her a little while longer before shuffling back to the comfortable position he had found before, satisfied that it didn't look like she was going to say anymore he let his head rest against her again and turned his eyes back to the window. "I forgive you." He whispered, and felt her body relax."

"Thank you." She said, was all she could think of saying, still amazed at what just transpired between them just now. She smiled to herself as it felt as if a small weight was lifted from her shoulders. '_Shinji, you had the best friends in the world you know that?'_

All three watched the display of rain and lightning until exhaustion overtook them. It wasn't long until all three had fallen asleep, each leaning on the other for support while the warm water penguin began to snore loudly.

Who even knew penguins could snore?

* * *

The next night the rain had stopped and Maya had taken her chance.

She now found herself squeezing through the door of a pharmacy, scrapping her arms and legs against the metal frame of the non-functioning automatic door. Once inside she unlocked the door properly so she wouldn't have to worry about that again.

"I have to hurry…" She said to herself as she rubbed at her scrapes. She had spent the entirety of the night looking for anyplace that would have basic medical supplies, trying store after store only to find she could not find a way inside. This one was by pure luck, whoever owned it only had a simple latch lock sometimes used on older apartments, and it looks like they forgot to close the inner security door.

"No time to waste… gotta hurry!" She grabbed what she could with only a plastic shopping bag as a container Maya franticly rummaged around for what she needed. Bandages, antibiotics, painkillers, rubbing alcohol, bottled water, she stuffed as much as she could into the small bag and continued to look for more.

Thump Thump

Maya halted; she could have sworn she had just seen something pass by the glass storefront. A few seconds went by before she slowly resumed grabbing things from the shelves, takeing another bag from the counter and filling it with nutrition bars and even more water. The bars may taste like old newspaper, but at least its some form of food that wasn't kicked out of a vending machine.

Thump Thump Thump

Again the sound, and again she froze. This time the sound came from above followed by a strange scratching almost as if someone were dragging nails across a chalkboard. Maya's heart began to race as her imagination took hold, turning the sounds into some sort of monster that was hunting her.

Scritch-Scritch -- _grrrrrrrr..._

Maya hated her imagination sometimes, and how good it was at making things real. With that Maya decided she had enough stuff to help both Asuka and herself for a little while longer, and made a dash for the exit and the streets.

She didn't look back she didn't dare look back. Breathing hard she just kept on running, trying to retrace the exact path she had taken back to her small safe cave. The heavy footsteps and ragged breathing following some distance behind her gave her incentive to ignore the burning of her legs, and to just keep running as fast as she could. She was no athlete, she was a computer programmer who's day consisted of running diagnostics and fixing various tech problems, none of these helped in the way of marathon running.

She wasn't even sure if it there was actually something following her or if her imagination was getting the best of her, all she knew was the intense feeling that if she slowed down or stopped, that something terrible would happen.

"No time to waste… gotta hurry!" She chanted out loud, pushing herself to keep going.

Her chanting was halted as a huge black shadow rammed into her from the side, pushing the young woman down a narrow alleyway. Maya didn't even bother trying to see what it was and just ran blindly down the alley only to be stopped much to her distress, by a high chain-link fence.

"No!" she cried out, and as a last ditch effort tried to climb it. Somehow managing to get a few feet off the ground with the bag of supplies still in her grasp, Maya thought she was going to make it, until a pressure around her ankle tore her from the fence and slammed her into the adjacent wall.

Supplies were scrambled everywhere as the bag hit the ground leaving a rather dazed Maya slumped against the cool brick wall. She was about to get up and recover her cargo when she saw it.

Looking up at the massive shadow that had been chasing her all this time Maya froze. It was huge, black and white mottled fur covered its head and back, while a hard spiked white carapace shielded the rest of its body. Its form resembled a huge wolf, but its head sported no eyes at all, just matted dripping fur and a mouth with too many jagged vicious teeth that the jaws did not close properly.

It stalked towards her slowly, smelling the air and fear that permeated all around. Switching from all fours to stand on clawed hind legs, the thing let out a roar of triumph as if letting the world know it had found prey and was going to dine this night.

All Maya could do was back herself as flat against the brick wall as she could, shaking with tears of fright in her eyes at the sight of the monstrous thing. Silently she prayed, apologized to Asuka for failing her, and with nothing else she could do…

…she screamed.

* * *

A/N: Well.. the chapter is a bit longer then the last so... yeah... what can I say I'm still a noob at this. :P

Thank you to all those that have reviewed, its very much appreciated.

As for something two of you asked – I'm not sure yet if anyone else besides Ritsuko are going to be altered. I like to think of Toji's magical re-appearing leg to be the result of the LCL reforming dna\bodystructure\health back to how its supposed to be before your exposed to the world. WTF is up with Ritsuko then? Well... I'll get to that eventually. :3


	4. Woof Woof

Disclaimer – NGE and all its characters are copyright their respected owners, but I'd hope everyone knows that by now.

* * *

Ch-04- Woof.

(one hour earlier)

Ritsuko stood in the doorway of her apartment clad in the same garb she wore last night while her empty black duffel bag hung across her shoulder. She had just handed Toji her trusted aluminum baseball bat, just in case something or someone tried to barge their way in. The boy showed his gratitude in a manner that took Ritsuko somewhat by surprise, especially after their discussion from the night before, and was currently halting her planned expedition to find some much needed foodstuffs.

"You're coming back right?" Toji said as he clung to her from behind, arms wrapped tightly around the taller woman. "I know we only really properly met yesterday but lets face it… I'm just a kid and you're like… well… you're like Spiderman! I'm no wimp but I'll seriously have no chance out there if something would happen to you!" The sound of absolute desperation and authentic fear in his voice nearly brought Ritsuko to tears.

"I'm totally not being a perv here, I'm just being the scared little kid who needs protection so please…" He squeezed her harder reveling in the feeling of how strong she felt, and hoping that somehow he could draw some of that strength into himself. "…Just tell me you're coming back."

"Of course Toji, I promise." She meant it and it felt good. No catches, no ultimatums, nothing to gain in return, just a simple truthful promise.

Toji stayed there for another minute before letting his embrace slacken. He pulled back and looked Doctor Akagi in her emerald green eyes as she turned to face him. A smile crossed his face, believing her promise and feeling just a little bit better now. Ritsuko returned the smile before taking a step back through the doorway gave a final nod, and then ducked into a crouch and jumped out of sight.

"My new best friend is Spiderman, well... not really but its still really cool!" Toji said to PenPen before returning to the safety of the apartment. The Penguin on the other hand only stared at the kid blankly before shaking its beak and waddling off to find something more interesting to do.

* * *

Ritsuko moved at blinding speeds, crossing building gaps easily as she leaped from rooftop to rooftop. It took the discovery of PenPen for her to realize that she could jump freakishly high. It was scary at first, but with a little practice she was now gliding along and making better time across the city then Misato could ever dream of, even if she had gotten every green light and gunned her poor abused car even more so then she usually did.

_Misato…_ Ritsuko's thoughts drifted as she moved, thinking of her long-time friend and if she would ever get the chance to see her again. _And apologize… for all the lies and secrets I kept from you._ She shook her head as she tried to change her train of thought. Dwelling on the past now would not help anyone, just as Toji had said, and right now she needed to take care of the one she had made a promise to.

She kept to the lower buildings and small houses for now, or at least until she got a better grasp on her ability to brave the higher and larger gaps of the taller offices. It had stopped raining thankfully, but that only meant the rooftops were now riddled with puddles that Ritsuko was currently skillfully avoiding... most of them anyway. Grumbling as she splashed down into a massive puddle giving her a nice soaker and leaving her pant bottoms sopping wet. _'Dammit, I'm a scientist not an athlete.' _She sighed as she tried to shake some water out of her shoe. '_Just be glad no one is around to see you act like a newbie.'_

The night air was thick and damp with moisture that left the ground below in a slight fog, it made it difficult for her to see if she was perhaps passing any sort of corner store that she could raid, and instead opted to go where she knew would have many a canned good in stock.

She never really used supermarkets, not being at home for a long period of time resulted in her hardly ever needing to stock up on groceries, but this time she surmised that she would be seeing more of this place if the world didn't get back to normal soon.

Parting the automatic doors, she wasted no time and headed straight for the canned goods. The scent radiating throughout the store invaded Ritsuko's heightened sense of smell, and the overpowering sickly sweet scent nearly had her running back out to the street. Shaking it off, she forced herself to get used to it, and guessed the smell must be coming from all the fruit that was left to rot in the back of the store.

She filled her bag with what she could, soups ranging from instant ramen to chicken noodle to the cheaper pastas swimming in tomato paste. She made sure to leave room for bottled water and anything else non-perishable that they might need, especially batteries... lots and lots of batteries. Satisfied, and no longer able to take the stench that was now mixing with rotting meat, Ritsuko got the hell out of there, inhaled the fresher outside air deeply then ascended back up to the rooftops and darted in the direction of her home.

She managed to get across three buildings before a frightened scream rang out through the silent night air. Skidding to a stop as she landed, Ritsuko immediately turned in the direction the sound had come from. The scream sounded like someone was in trouble, and someone being in trouble meant _someone else_ was actually out there. That thought alone gave her an extra boost of adrenalin as she doubled her pace, leaping across buildings as if she were jumping small hurdles in a race.

She just hoped she wasn't too late.

* * *

Maya screamed loud and hard as the thing stood before her, snarling and howling in glee of its find. Standing tall on its hind legs it began to approach her, spittle dripping from its disgusting disfigured mouth. It opened its maw as it drew closer causing Maya to close her eyes as she felt the nasty hot breath on her skin, preparing for her life to end horribly.

WHAM!

Maya opened her eyes as the thing cried out with what to her sounded like pain, only to see the creature on the ground trying to get up, a black overstuffed bag on the ground next to it.

"What?!" She said as she stood up, preparing to run as the thing started to get back up. Before it could do so a figure swept down from above and tackled the creature back down to the ground, the two rolled and wrestled as they fought for dominance, both parties growling and snarling at each other wildly. In the dark and at the speed the stranger was moving, Maya just barely made out a female figure as her savior grappled with the monster before being thrown from the thing. The stranger recovered mid air twisting and turning before landing on their feet between Maya and the beast, crouching down in an aggressive pose.

The figure quickly turned her head to look at the young woman, intense emerald eyes wide with recognition. "Maya?!"

"S-S-Sempai!" Maya gasped out loud, not expecting in a million years that her rescuer would be her one and only Dr.Akagi. She felt tears stinging her eyes at the sight of her; so many things she wanted to say right then and there that would unfortunately have to wait, as the beastly thing interrupted the reunion.

It charged, and with incredible speed rammed right into Ritsuko hard. She was ready for it though and with combined agility and enhanced strength, grabbed hold of the thing and planted her feet firmly to the ground. The wet rubber of her borrowed sneakers squealed loudly as shoes slid across the wet pavement, and as the two came to a halt she pushed off the ground and angled backwards. This caused the great beast to lose its footing, and as it fell forward Ritsuko went with it, pulling both of them into a roll before kicking out and sending the creature slamming into the brick wall. Ritsuko quickly got back on her feet and waited.

The creature got back up, howling madly in both pain and anger. It turned its eyeless hairy head at its attacker growling softly and dripping a mixture of spittle and blood. Its growls increased at the sight (or scent) of the woman as it got on all fours and stalked towards her, more cautiously this time.

Ritsuko just waited, watching as the thing tried to figure her out, sizing her up before trying to make another move. It gave up though, seeing only a frail human female that should be easy enough to kill, and charged again this time slashing with long hooked claws in a flurry of frenzied attacks. A claw lightly grazed Ritsuko across her arm and cheek but either then that no other attack landed.

Maya could only look on in awe as her Akagi-sensei easily dodged every attack, sidestepping and ducking, occasionally sneaking in a punch to the face and gut as the thing grew more and more furious by the second. Its speed increased as it pressed forward in its attack, causing Ritsuko to backpedal several times before she let loose a kick of her own that would have sent a bull running to the dentist.

It connected to the monster's jaw as it tried to catch her, dazing it slightly and causing it to turn away from her. Ritsuko didn't hesitate, taking this moment of opportunity to end the fight for good. With one last move, she leaped towards the brick wall kicking out to swiftly rebound off of it and landed behind the thing, then reaching around she grabbed its muzzle as it tried to turn and bite her. One hand grabbed its snout, while the other held on to its bottom jaw, and with a grunt she began to pry its mouth open with all her might.

Maya looked on in amazement as knots of sinew in the doctor's arms and back bulged with raw power as the woman pulled with all her strength. The creature lashed out as its mouth was opened beyond what its jaw was capable of, until a sickening crack resonated throughout the night air.

The creature's black slimy tongue dangled lifelessly out the side of its mouth as its jaw was broken, then with a quick turn of her arms Ritsuko snapped its neck and let the massive beast fall to the ground dead. She kicked it to make sure it wouldn't get back up as she took a better look at it._ 'Looks like some sort of wolf crab, what is it with all these crab things suddenly?_ _What I wouldn't give to be able analyze this thing under a microscope_.' She thought to herself as her scientist side slowly crept back to life while in the presence of the mutant werewolf of Tokyo-3, the feral instincts that had taken over during the fight all but disappearing.

Taking a few deep breaths to calm the adrenalin racing though her blood, Ritsuko came to realize she had just ambushed a giant monster without even knowing what it was capable of. She had no plan of attack, she only saw that someone was in trouble and acted. She began thinking how incredibly stupid that really was, and how badly this encounter could have turned out.

'_Hey... I killed it, that has to account for something right?'_ Deciding it was best to just go with it, she slowly stood to her full height and turned to face the one she had just rescued. "Maya, are you alright?" She said between gasps, as the excitement still raging through her blood calmed.

The smaller woman couldn't speak. She was filled with so many emotions that her brain would not even form a coherent sentence, and all she could squeak out sounded so weak it was almost embarrassing "Sempai?"

"Yes Maya, it's me." Ritsuko smiled and held out her arms to show Maya that she was indeed a human being.

Maya didn't see that though, all she saw was her mentor in the most amazing form she could ever dream of. Back at Nerv HQ Maya always thought her mentor carried a certain air of power; she was tall and graceful and always had a determined look that no one could ever take away. But now, right here standing before Maya in the dim light of the night was not a human, it was a goddess.

"S-s… Sempai, I… what...have you…" Maya stuttered as her face went bright red. She never really saw Dr.Akagi outside of Nerv and the doctor was always wearing her signature lab coat. "Its just…you..." Maya stuttered again as Ritsuko turned her head to the side and look at her, wondering what could have the girl so tongue-tied. Maya on the other hand just couldn't believe the way the doctor looked, and in all her years she would never imagine that such sleek muscles would be hiding under that bleached white lab coat. "You look so… _strong_! Were you always like this when we worked together?"

Ritsuko laughed. "Ha! I wish! Not to mention I think you would have noticed." She gave the shorter woman a wink, knowing full well how much the girl idolized the doctor. "No, I woke up like this after everything. I don't know how or why the LCL would change me so drastically but, its come in handy so far so I wont complain." She smiled as she raised her hands in a shrug.

"I'm glad." Maya looked to the corpse of the dead wolf monster and began to think at how close it came to killing her. She was utterly amazed when Ritsuko descended out of nowhere and dealt with the huge thing as if it were a minor annoyance. "Ever since I came back I've been saying Iwish Sempai was here, she would know what to do, Sempai would protect me." Maya stopped as she looked to her mentor, and then suddenly rushed up and grabbed Ritsuko in a tight hug nearly knocking the taller woman over. "I'm so grateful for this, for you, thank you!"

"Maya…"

Maya cut Ritsuko off not letting her speak. "I know! I know you don't share how I feel and never could!" She tightened her hold on her mentor. " I understand that and I don't care, I'm just grateful for you now, for being here when I need you, and that's all I'll ever ask of you!"

Ritsuko sighed, always knowing her understudy's rather strong affections towards her. Ritsuko had even tried to convince herself that Maya's feelings were just a form of hero worship, but as time went on the doctor couldn't help but accept the fact that the smaller woman had developed a rather bad crush.

Ritsuko returned the hug surprising the small woman who was currently imitating a Burmese python. "Let's go home Maya." Then picked up the smaller woman in her arms, only causing Maya's face to turn a deeper shade of red. "It's not safe here, not to mention Toji and PenPen are probably getting worried."

"You mean there are others?" Maya looked up at Ritsuko with a smile beaming on her face.

"So far just them, and I'm pretty sure they would be glad to see you as well." She said as she carefully bent down so Maya could reach for her duffel bag, and carefully sling it over Ritsuko's shoulders.

"Hai! Sempai! Anything then stay out here!" Maya's happy look suddenly turned to a mix of shock and disgust as she remembered why she was out here in the first place. "Wait no! We can't … I can't!"

"What's wrong?"

"Asuka! I came out here to get supplies for Asuka!"

"The second child? She's alive?!" Ritsuko looked concerned and delighted at the same time, concerned by the way Maya seemed to be panicking suddenly, yet delighted at the fact there's yet another person alive in this world. One more person she can apologize to.

"Barely. I got so excited at seeing you I almost forgot about her…" Maya looked as if she was about to cry, hating herself for being so selfish.

"It's alright Maya, just tell me where she is." Ritsuko reassured her.

"At the beach in a small cave to the north. It's hard to spot but I know where it is. Please sempai, I was barely strong enough to drag her in there but you wou-"

"Don't worry Maya, if she's alive we'll take care of her." The doctor suddenly began to crouch slightly. "Hold tight now." Ritsuko warned. Before Maya could understand what she meant Ritsuko jumped, using two windowsills as stepping blocks and leaping onto the rooftops above. Maya yelped as she wrapped her arms around Ritsuko's neck and hung on for dear life.

"You should have warned me better Sempai!" Maya cried out into the night as Ritsuko quickly bounded from building to building until the orange sea was in sight. She then bounded down to the smaller houses before hitting the streets and headed for the beach line. Maya hopped down from her Mentor's arms as she lead her in the direction of the cave and silently prayed that no other surprises would be waiting for them.

It only took about five seconds before the first screech was heard, as the sand churned all around them as the CrabDogs woke up, smelling the prospect of a late night meal. Maya instinctively grabbed hold of Ritsuko's arm tightly, not knowing what to do should they be surrounded. But as she looked to see what her Sempai was going to do, all she saw was a determined face that carried a very angry frown.

"Just stay close to me." Ritsuko ordered as Maya lead her on, the shorter woman obeying by nearly cutting off the circulation in the Doctor's arm.

It started with one, then two, then soon there was a whole horde of crabby beasts screeching and slobbering happily as they sniffed the air and skittered in the sand. They turned in the direction of the scent screaming to the others nearby to join in on the kill, running towards the two women with only one thing running through their tiny simple minds. EAT.

The two watched the horde as it began its charge towards them, Maya couldn't help but look back between the horde and Ritsuko, wondering why she wasn't doing anything. The Doctor in question decided the little beasties were close enough, and quickly stepped forward blocking Maya from view. Almost immediately the little creatures skidded to a halt in the sand, the chortling dying down until there was nothing but silence. They then turned their hairy heads to one another, almost as if they were waiting to see what their siblings were going to do as they recognized Ritsuko, remembering her as the killer of their brood.

Ritsuko glared at the things and let out a long deep growl. She hated them. She hated them for attacking her, she hated them for chasing Toji, She hated them for scaring Maya and she hated them for reasons she didn't know yet but knew she would hate them for it anyway!

One crabdog was braver then the rest however, charging right at Ritsuko blindly chittering and chortling before Ritsuko decided it was due time to teach this one a lesson and let out a kick, punting the thing as if it were a football halfway across the beach side. The other critters watched in fascination, twenty little heads trailing the sight of their sibling as it flew through the air yelping like a chihuahua until it disappeared off into the horizon. They turned their hairy heads back to each other before screaming and running in fear as they dug themselves back into the sand or ran back into what ever holes they crawled from.

"Sempai..." Maya squeaked as she stood behind the taller woman and looked in the direction the beast had been kicked. "I...um... I honestly don't know what to say."

Ritsuko could only chuckle at that. "They're ugly, but they're just like any other animal. All you have to do is show them who's boss. Now come on, show me where Asuka is so we can get going."

"Hai!" Maya nodded before bounding down the beach towards her cave, confident that they would be safe now.

Showing her the entrance, Ritsuko crawled in and a moment later emerged with the unconscious girl in her arms. Face saddened knowing full well her condition was partially her fault, if not completely."This doesn't look good, but considering she's lasted this long in these conditions, all we can do is take her home and hope for the best."

"I guess I'll wait here for you to come back. Ill be alright in here so don't worry about me." Maya said, realizing Ritsuko couldn't possibly carry both of them. She was about to head back into her cave were it would be safe and wait for her to return.

"Don't be silly." Ritsuko said before turning and knelt down. "Hop on, you'll have to hold on for yourself though, and I'll need you to wear the bag if its not to heavy."

"But… you can't carry the both of us at once!" Maya said as she hesitated.

"And why not?" Ritsuko said while looking over her shoulder. "Come on now we can't stay here all night."

Maya didn't know what to think, so she did as she was told. Slowly she walked up to Ritsuko, wrapping her arms around her neck as she got on piggy back style. "I don't mind waiting if its too much Akagi-san"

"Nonsense. See, light as a feather." Ritsuko said as she stood up, easily able to carry both persons even while Maya carried the supplies from earlier. "Not sure about my jumping though, but now is a good time as ever to find out!" Ritsuko slowly eased herself into a run with Asuka in her arms and Maya on her back. Even while carrying the two young ladies she hardly felt a burden at all, Ritsuko thought she had pretty much discovered her limits, but even this now seemed to surprise her.

"Hang on tight now, I'm heading up to the rooftops." She warned as she approached some of the higher buildings. She felt Maya's hold on her tighten significantly, and felt the young woman as she hid her face in Ritsuko's back terrified.

_'Why am I able to do these things?'_ She thought to herself, she had welcomed these abilities but every time she had to use them she couldn't help but listen to the nagging in the back of her thoughts. '_What am I... and why am I the only one?'_

She tested her jump first, jumping onto a small car and using it to bounce up onto the back of a truck. She felt the slightest bit weighted down, but all she had to do was put a little more power into her legs and she was up and moving. She took caution, staying to the lower buildings with the flattop roofs, not wanting to risk slipping nor have Asuka bumped around from the impacts of her landings.

Concentrating on her breathing in the hot night air, she moved as fast and as safely as she could. Asuka in hand and Maya on her back, she would extend the promise she made to Toji to include them as well. She will be there, she will always come back for them, and no matter what… to make up for her past she will protect them even if it means her life. After all she has done, to them, to everyone, to the world; it may seem like an insignificant gesture.

But at least its a start.

* * *

A/N: mrrrgh... Not that happy how this chapter turned out, but if I go over it again I swear my eyes are going to fall out.

I usually try to avoid the whole (x time ago) or (x days earlier) but I forgot a scene in the last chapter and had to do that so it didn't seem like Rits could suddenly jump through wormholes... althouuuuugh... :P

Orionpax09: I wasn't really planning any parings in this fic, but hey who knows what could happen down the line. They are(were) quite possibly the last 2 people on earth and she saved Toji's life in a display of strength and smashed monsters... I think I'd glue myself to her side as well. XD

And just to clarify. NOT a Rits/Maya fic. Maya adores her yes, but thats as far as it will go.

Next chapter: More surprises - and and the start of an actual plot...hopefully... maybe...


	5. Shh! She can hear you!

Disclaimer – NGE and all its characters are copyright their respected owners, but I'd hope everyone knows that by now.

* * *

Ch-05- Shhh she can hear you!

A lone figure walked the alleyways without any fear, avoiding the darker spots of town as if knowing where the wild things lurked. Black boots singing out in the night as they hit the damp pavement. As the figure passed by, the occasional growl of warning would sound out, but nothing would come to pass as the creatures strangely ignored this person, or rather, avoided the silver gun that was strapped to the figure's side.

Stopping at the edge of the alleyway facing the open street, the figure looked up to the night sky. The clouds had finally cleared revealing stars that lit up the city almost as if the streetlights were still functioning. Dark violet hair shimmered in the twilight as brown eyes reflected the stars in the sky as they locked on sight of someone or something overhead.

Those eyes caught sight of a shadow that moved with incredible speed over the rooftops, and followed it until it was out of sight. It was defiantly humanoid, but it didn't look like any of the _WolfWeres_ and it moved so fast it was impossible to get a good look at the features.

"Definitely more human then the things down here…" The figure said to herself more then the monsters around her. Her high female voice was sharp with experience yet calm even for being surrounded by the creatures that were growling at her. "…and it looked like it was carrying something too."

She pulled a black facemask that was currently down around her neck up over the bridge of her nose, and then grabbed a strange pair of goggles from her belt and hid her eyes. She was completely clad in what looked like police riot gear, most likely borrowed as the nametag on the chest area said the name _Lt_._Red._ The black of her garb almost made her invisible when she hid in the shadows, which she knew by experience, came in handy when mutant creatures are hunting you down.

Her masked face turned to the direction of a _WolfWere_ that had stuck its nose out into the light, dripping spittle from bared teeth. The only reason it was not charging was not just because _Red_ was armed, but unbeknownst to her the creatures were well aware of their sibling that was killed not too long ago, and now they were becoming wary of these two-legged fleshy things.

"Sorry but you guys just became less interesting." She looked back in the direction the quick moving shadow had vanished, uh-holstering her gun and running out into the streets of Tokyo-3.

"Seems like I get to be the hunter this time around."

* * *

"Wow Akagi-san when my mom brought me home something special from the supermarket it was usually some cookies… never a young beautiful—AAAH! WITCH!"

Toji doubled back as Maya moved out the way revealing Ritsuko holding an unconscious Asuka Langly. Toji screamed as he ran back, tripping over the couch then over the table… then over poor PenPen who only came running out to see what all the screaming was about.

Maya just looked beyond confused, and Ritsuko could only shake her head and roll her eyes. Seems rumours about Asuka being her fiery self outside of Nerv were true.

"Toji get over here and take this stuff from Maya." Ritsuko ordered as she carried Asuka past the freaked out Toji and into her bedroom, carefully laying the girl down onto the bed. She gave her a thorough look over, examining the severity of her wounds especially her arm. Ritsuko frowned, even if Maya had tried her best under the circumstances given to her, the girls chance at keeping her arm right now would have been better if she had been given simple treatment sooner.

'_She tried her best. The only one deserving of blame here is me.'_

Noticing the girl was still in her red plugsuit, if you could still call it that as it was ripped and torn beyond recognition. Considering everyone else she found was healed, Ritsuko began to wonder if Asuka was spared from instrumentality, and if so… why? Unable to get any answers now, she returned to the living room to see Toji digging around in her bag. PenPen was trying to introduce himself to Maya, warking happily while flapping his flippers and pointing to his collar. Maya responded by picking up the warm water penguin, eyes wide like a little girl and began squeezing him tightly against her.

"He's so cute!" Maya squealed as she held the penguin as if he were a stuffed animal.

"Pfft. If I tried to do that he would probably peck out my eyes." Toji said as he watched how the penguin actually seemed to be enjoying the attention.

"Well, that's because he's a male and you're a smelly boy. Isn't that right PenPen, you like the girls don't ya?" She stroked his head only to get a loving _'wark_!' in return.

"Well I like the girls too, but I don't see any of them hugging and stroking me!" Toji faltered, immediately wishing he hadn't said that as Maya gave him the glare of death pretty much broadcasting how perverted that sounded. "Err... Ah…So lets see what the good doc has brought home eh?" Toji said nervously as he rummaged around in the bag quickly changing the subject. " Water, ramen, tons of soups, matches, candles, batteries oooh pastries!" he said as he pulled out a large box of snacks. "And… hair dye?"

Ritsuko came up from behind him and snatched the box out of his hands. "That's for me. Unless you and PenPen want to try something different." PenPen, who was still being hugged lovingly by Maya let out a concerned '_wark?'_

"Um… no… I'll be happy with this ramen thank you." Toji placed the bag down with the instant noodle cup in his hands. "But um… how are we supposed to heat this up?"

"Didn't you say she had matches in there?" Maya said, taking a seat on the sofa, still tightly clutching PenPen and stoking his soft feathers and massaging his chubby belly. The warm water penguin looked like he was in a state of total bliss.

"Well… yeah but…"

"Improvise." Ritsuko said, heading back out to the door. Maya quickly stood back up wondering where she could be going at this time of night.

"Sempai?"

"Don't worry I won't be gone long. Asuka has a nasty infection that needs to be dealt with fast, not to mention she's dehydrated. Hopefully the nearby hospital will have what we need for it." Ritsuko gave a reassuring smile to Maya. "Get yourself something to eat then settle in, PenPen and Toji already took the spare room so… you'll have to settle for the couch."

"I would be a nice guy and give it up, but that penguin is so stubborn you might end up sleeping on the floor." Toji glared at the bird, knowing full well how much of a blanket hog the beast could be.

"Don't worry about me Sempai... you just be careful out there." Maya said as she watched Ritsuko walk to the door before disappearing from view, images of wolf-things and spidercrabs flashing through her mind.

"Trust me, she's the last person you need to worry about." Toji said from the kitchen as he tried to figure out how to use the matches to make his dinner that didn't involve burning down the entire place.

"Oh I know…after seeing what she did to that giant wolf thing…."

"Giant wolf thing?!" Toji bounded over and landed on the couch next to Maya, nearly launching the girl from the other end of the couch and startling poor PenPen enough to cause the penguin to jump away and run into the bedroom. "She fought a giant wolf thing? What did she do? Did she smash its head in or just beat it silly?"

"No…" Maya was a little disturbed at the excitement the boy was displaying towards the subject. "She um… was kind of jumping all over the place before she broke its jaw then…" She shivered as she recounted the gruesome scene all over again in her mind. "…snapped its neck."

"Oh man and I missed it! That must have been totally cool, man… she's so awesome!" Toji suddenly took on a daydreamers adoring look that only creeped out Maya even more. Seeing how he was getting on, she didn't dare mention the Crabbeast she turned into a football.

"You sure you weren't dropped on your head when you came back?" Maya joked at his enthusiasm; Toji only growled causing the small woman to laugh. After a moment she had to ask. "Um, has she mention anything about… you know… any reason she's all…" Maya mocked a pose, trying to flex her muscles but failing miserably.

Toji's face suddenly turned serious as he looked away. "Nah. She says she doesn't know. I told her to just forget about it but it really seems to be bothering her." Toji sighed as he picked up a can and twirled it in his hands. "I guess that's to be expected though… She tried to explain what happened to us but it only made my head hurt."

"What did she tell you?" Even though Maya had a bit of a good understanding about third impact, she was curious on how the boy would retell it.

"Well, she said something about fields… our AT fields that everyone has and that they were dropped somehow, that's why everyone disappeared and turned to goo." He paused struggling with the words he was trying to put together. "It was really confusing but she went on telling me that what we experienced during that time was us pretty much being judged, but not by someone else. We were judging ourselves."

Maya looked down in thought. Now that she thought about it that did seem to make sense, even though parts were fuzzy. She could remember that even though she felt like she could feel everyone she ever knew, in the end she stood face to face with herself. Forced to come clean about truths that she tried to hide all her life. "Did she mention anything that she experienced?"

Toji shook his head negatively. "No, all she told me was that she didn't want to come back and that it felt like something had pulled her back to life, and when she woke up, she was how she is now."

"I see." Maya said, feeling the slightest bit saddened knowing Akagi-san didn't really want to come back after all. "Did you feel anything different when you woke up Toji?" She asked the boy as he spun the can of soup in his hands expertly.

"Besides getting my leg back, no. You?"

"Just some childhood scars gone. Seems like what ever happened fixed our bodies to how they would be if we never hurt ourselves or exposed ourselves to harmful things."

"That's what I think is bugging her." Toji said darkly, the can slipping from his hand as it fell to the sofa the two shared.

"You mean…" Maya trailed off as it dawned on her.

"Yeah… If we came back normal, does that mean that she was supposed to be always like this? That something else was… hiding it, holding it back?"

"And that factor is now gone…" Maya tried to think back to her days at Nerv, if she ever noticed any strange behaviour that Dr.Akagi may have shown, or if she was ever seen testing anything on herself in any way or form. Nothing came to mind save the fact she could type ridiculously fast. The Doctor barely even raised her voice at her own subordinates, not to mention she didn't seem like the type to run any sort of experiments on herself.

Toji got up from the sofa remembering about the dinner he was trying not to catch on fire. "Now that I really think about it… that does sound kind of scary." He paused before turning back to Maya, an awkward smile on his face. "But just like I told her, just because you don't know about it doesn't mean it's a bad thing. She saved me, she saved you, and she even saved that fat bird you were just hugging!"

An angry sounding _**WARK**_ echoed from down the hall.

"See even PenPen agrees! So lets stop getting all depressed here and just go with it." Satisfied with his little speech when he heard Maya giggle slightly Toji extended his hand to the shorter woman, and in the most gentlemanly tone he could do said. "Now, would this fine young Lady do me the honour of helping figure out how to make dinner?"

"Why of course." Maya replied in the same manner, taking his hand and letting him lead her to the kitchen. "But only if we make something special for Sempai!" She suddenly added at the end, nearly causing the boy to fall over at his failed attempt at being a gentleman.

"Why do you even call her that anyway? Y'know what, I'm to hungry for an explanation, lets just figure out how to heat this stuff up so I can go to bed!"

WARK WARK WARK! Came the barks of the penguin in the other room.

"Yes PenPen we'll make you something too!" Toji shouted before grumbling. "Stupid penguin."

Maya giggled. It was certainly going to take some getting used to, but she figured living here with these two would be interesting at least.

* * *

Ritsuko paused at the entrance to the Hospital, the doors were jammed open in a strange manner that would suggest something had barged their way through. She didn't feel anything out of the ordinary, considering when she was attacked by crabdogs and when she faced that wolf creature her senses were going haywire, hopefully the lack of any reaction this time around meant this place was safe. She still moved as silently as she could though, just in case what ever could be hiding in here was an exception to the rule.

She stalked the halls like a predator, making sure to peer into the empty rooms just to make sure they were indeed empty. For the most part they were, save for equipment and dishevelled gurneys. She breathed through her nose deeply as she smelled the air for anything out of the ordinary. Nothing stood out besides the normal antiseptic smell of a hospital, which she found strange considering the place had been abandoned for a little while at least.

The entire facility was not that big, but it was big enough to cause Ritsuko some small amount of annoyance as she wandered down endless corridors and staircases looking for any storage rooms. Her searching did allow her to notice that this place was still in good condition. Everything was still clean and she was pretty sure if she found the right tools she would be able to get the generator working. Along with the thick walls and barred windows Ritsuko began wondering if she could convince Maya and Toji to relocate here. All they'd have to do is fix the front door and they would have safe endless rooms, an entire cafeteria to actually warm up dinner with, quick access to medication and treatment should someone get hurt and with a little luck, electricity too.

Ritsuko thought of another advantage to staying here, as she stood in front frosted glass doors. RESEARCH LAB was printed in large bold letterings along the top with the usual AUTHORIZED PERSONEL ONLY written underneath it. As tempting as it was, she knew the power was out therefore the room itself and all its scientific equipment was rendered useless. If she could return power to the facility however, she would then be able to run a few tests on herself and possibly figure out why she was so different suddenly.

She was torn. Toji had said to just go with it, use what you got and be glad you're alive. He even warned her that if she should put herself under the microscope that her findings would probably lead to discoveries that were even worse then not knowing the truth. But… even so, Ritsuko was a scientist after all, and the mystery surrounding her was slowly tearing away at her soul as she played scenario after scenario in her own mind trying to deduce some sort of explanation for her condition.

She placed her hand on the door handle thinking perhaps there was at least something she could use in there that could shed a light on her circumstance, a simple microscope doesn't need power to magnify a tiny drop of blood. Just as she was about to pull she stopped, letting her hand fall limply away from the door. Ritsuko frowned, a small growl escaping her throat…disgusted at her own selfishness.

_'Not now… you have more important things to worry about.'_

She turned away from the door and headed for a staircase. She was planning on going down thinking perhaps the storage was on a lower level or at least get a look at the generator, when for some reason decided to go to the roof instead. Whether it was just to scope out the structure or just to get some fresh air even she didn't know, but she went up anyway hoping maybe she could clear her head of a few thoughts that were troubling her right now.

The roof had leveled sections and various outlets and ducts for ventilation and roof access. The night had cooled somewhat, and as Ritsuko breathed in the damp air feeling refreshed she couldn't help but look up at the stars. There were so many of them, and they were so bright. With the city darkened there was no light pollution and Ritsuko couldn't remember the last time she had looked at the stars like this… if ever.

Sighing, she walked over to the buildings edge that faced the city and wondered if it would ever be lit with people again. Even if the serene peace and quiet was welcoming, the fact that the world was now empty left an overwhelming sense of loneliness that would chill even the strongest of souls. Ritsuko began wondering if she would live to see the day when the streets would be busy with cars and people again, and not crawling with monsters that lived only to devour anything that moved. If so, would she be accepted into society if they ever knew what she did, what she was?

**_You'll never know unless you survive_.**

Ritsuko tensed. Those were not her thoughts, and the voice in her head that said them clearly was not her own. It was the voice of a young man, familiar, comforting. It was Shinji's voice!

"What!" Ritsuko said, turning around trying to see where the voice came from. Looking across at the building next door she was certain she saw him. But just like at the beach, just as she got to the edge of the hospital roof the sight vanished. Ritsuko kept looking, hoping maybe he had just walked out of view. She was sure this time, so sure that she had seen him…

Nothing. She felt like screaming.

"Why are you doing this to me…" She perched herself on the ledge of the roof and held her head in her hands. She began wondering if perhaps she was just slowly losing her mind. Hallucinations were never a good sign of ones mental health.

"_Shinji… what's become of you?"_

* * *

Red, as the nametag on her gear said, was currently quite comfortable in her spot on an abandoned house with a good view of the city. Even in her comfort, she was feeling quite annoyed as the target she was tracking was leaving absolutely no sign of where it had gone. It was just by pure luck and coincidence that Red had looked over at the hospital area and spotted a figure standing on the rooftops.

"Finally!" Red quickly got up and descended down the fire ladder, crossed the street and using the emergency ladders, climbed up as far she could without being seen and peered over the lip of the building. It was backing her, and in the dark she could barely make out the fact that it was currently crouched on the other edge of the building, its head was down in its hands.

As quietly as she could Red reached up and flipped a switch on her goggles. With a high-pitched electronic scream the world suddenly brightened to neon green as the night vision engaged. It was pretty pointless; all she could see now was that this thing was indeed human, and that it was wearing very simple clothing, t-shirt, sweats, sneakers nothing fancy. Red became curious if this was the same person she had seen earlier that night.

Suddenly she saw its body tense as it raised its head as if hearing something. _"Oh Shit!" _Red held her breath as the one she had been following suddenly seemed aware of her presence, head turning swiftly in her direction. She promptly hit the switch on the side of her goggles as she ducked down under the ledge of the building. "_Dumbass!_ _It can hear the night vision… how stupid can I get!"_

Red couldn't help but gasp as she caught sight of emerald eyes that reflected the moon and starlight, glowing eerily in the dark resembling some sort of animal. She pressed herself against the wall as flat as she could, and hoped the black gear would serve its purpose and hide her again. She heard the light footsteps on the roof above her quickly draw nearer, amazed at how fast her now turned stalker traversed the distance. She could hear as the one above stopped, smelling the air as it caught different scents as it tried to find the one spying on it. Red hoped the wind would not change direction and prayed that her gear wasn't still new enough to give off any smells that would alert the one above to her location.

Red dared a chance, and ever so slowly craned her head and eyes to look up. She caught sight of it, of her, it was too dark to make out any distinguishing features save for locks of what looked like dark brown hair, and glowing bestial eyes. Those eyes were now cautiously scanning the area for any movement narrowing dangerously as it focused ahead.

A hand came into view as Red's target leaned over the edge. Red could now see it was clearly female, but judging from the thick forearm that tensed and relaxed as her target balanced herself on the buildings edge, that it was quite muscular and probably ridiculously strong.

There was a slight growl of frustration before Red's target spoke. "I must be seeing things again...It's just not my night" and then without a sound jumped off in a direction Red could not see and vanished.

Red on the other hand had froze, eyes wide with disbelief. She heard the voice, she knew that voice, and if it were not for the fact her target had just leaped god knows how many feet in the air, she would have broken cover and called back for her just to make sure.

"Akagi? But... how?" Red suddenly frowned as anger began to rise in her blood. "Damn you Akagi… what the hell have you done now…"

* * *

Being a silent as she could Dr.Akagi returned home, sneaking past a sleeping Maya who was currently curled up on the couch with PenPen surprisingly wrapped up in her arms. If she didn't know any better, Ritsuko could easily mistake Maya for a little girl hugging a penguin doll.

Taking caution not to drop any of the tubes and other items she was carrying, she entered her room and noticed that Asuka had shifted position somehow. Ritsuko had placed her on her back, but the girl was currently on her side. She took that as a good sign, unless Maya or Toji had shifted her it meant that Asuka might be regaining consciousness if ever so briefly.

Ritsuko sorted her things as she prepared to treat Asuka, cleaning her good arm and preparing it for the i.v she had procured from the hospital. She didn't have anywhere to hang the bag though, and with some quick thinking proceeded to take down a large picture above the bed, and used the protruding nail as a makeshift hangar.

Satisfied that the intravenous bag was stable enough she turned her attention to the injured arm. Carefully removing the old bandages Ritsuko couldn't help but wince at the sight of the injury. It looked as if something had split her arm down the middle, and then had it partially heal over too quickly. The open infected wound would need to be cleaned and medicated before the Doctor could stitch it. Luckily she had predicted this, and currently had all she needed to fix the problem and with a bit of luck, allow the girl to regain some use of the arm.

Satisfied at her work, Ritsuko left the girl's side and returned to the living room. Sneaking past Maya again, she took the same spot in front the window as she did the night before. She had no idea what the time was, but the faint orange glow in the sky told her that it was early morning.

"It's only been a few days yet it feels like it's been a year. Besides these three… I've not seen sight or sound of anyone else."

"Sempai?"

Ritsuko looked over to see a sleepy looking Maya peering over the couch. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

"No, I was trying to wait up for you… guess I was more tired then I first thought." She maneuvered herself so that her chin rested on the back of the sofa. A moment of silence went by as Maya just observed her mentor as she returned her gaze back to the window. "Um Sempai? I was talking with Toji while you were gone… and… well. Do you still regret coming back?"

Ritsuko didn't answer at first. She wasn't sure how to answer really and didn't want to say anything that would hurt Maya's feelings. "Its not that I regret coming back…" She sighed deeply. "Its just that I don't feel I deserve it."

"I think you do. Your not a bad person Akagi-san." Maya waited to see if her mentor would say anything, but Ritsuko just continued to stare out at the morning sky. Maya suddenly felt determined to break her friends bad mood somehow. "Once we get settled in, we can go looking for a lab for you Sempai where we can run tests and whatnot. I know I'm not a scientist, but I'm good with handling data so… I want to help! I want to help find out what's happened to you!"

"You don't have to do that Maya." Ritsuko said almost in a whisper, not wanting to get anyone involved with her own problems.

"But I want to! At least let me repay you for saving my life, let me help you." Maya slumped down into the sofa forgetting that PenPen was with her. Thankfully the Penguin was so fast asleep that he didn't notice the movement. "Please?" She pleaded in that ridiculously squeaky voice she would revert to when all else failed.

Ritsuko almost snorted at the sound of it. "Go back to sleep Maya." To Maya her tone of voice didn't sound like she was saying no, and that was good enough for her. Sliding back down onto the sofa the small woman curled back up with her penguin friend in arm.

Ritsuko on the other hand got up from her spot and sat in the bay window leaning against the frame while her head rested against the window.

She tried to fight it, wanting to at least try and see the sunrise but exhaustion caught up with her. Her eyes closed on their own accord and sleep quickly overtook her. Sending her into a dream so bizarre and confusing that she would not be able to simply forget the next day.

_She could see herself, her old self clad in her usual outfit and typical white lab coat. There was nothing around, save for the Magi supercomputer that was washed in a strange white glow. Her other self did nothing besides stare blankly at it. Ritsuko found she could do nothing; she was glue to her spot as she watched someone else came up from behind, holding something in their hand._

_Mother?_

_She was only able to watch as her mother paced around her double, a miniature version of the Magi in her hand. Her mother juggled it in her hands before tossing it at the larger version, it made a loud crash as metal met metal and shattered into a thousand tiny pieces. Ritsuko's double was showered in the fragments, and as the pieces fell in slow motion her double turned and looked straight at her._

_Green eyes held no emotion as it regarded her other, and Ritsuko felt a chill run up her spine. She tried to move, tried look away but for some cliché dream-world reason she couldn't, and her double only responded with a cruel smile as she walked towards her other self. _

_Eye to eye they stood, emerald reflecting emerald. So close that Ritsuko began to see the differences between them, how her old self seemed so thin and small compared to her now strengthened body._

_A minute went by as the two stared each other down, before her mother appeared behind her double and started to laugh. The laugh got louder and louder until Ritsuko thought her eardrums would rupture, and all the while her double just grinned and stared, before suddenly jamming a very large syringe painfully into Ritsuko's neck._

She screamed as she jolted awake so violently she fell from the windowsill. She stayed on the ground for a moment, clothes drenched in sweat as her body shook.

"What… What the hell was that!" She said as she shakily got to her feet rubbing her neck, the feeling of the syringe still fresh in her mind. She looked out the window to see the sun high in the sky, it must have been at least noon, yet it seemed she had only closed her eyes for a few minutes.

"Sempai!" Maya came running in from another room with Toji close behind. "What's wrong Sempai we heard you scream!"

"Nothing I'm fine, just a bad dream." Ritsuko said as she wiped sweat from her brow.

_Just a dream._

* * *

A/N: Durrr I wonder whom red could be? I'm not exactly trying to keep it secret it just didn't feel right to blurt it out just like that. :P

Orionpax09: I like your idea, and its strikingly familiar to one I was playing around with that it's almost scary... or I'm just not that original heh. And she will put herself under the microscope eventually; she just has other priorities at the moment.

SithKnightGalen: don't worry everything will be explained I just have to get there first :3

Thanks again for reviewing!


	6. Rest while ya can

Disclaimer – NGE and all its characters are copyright their respected owners, but I'd hope everyone knows that by now.

* * *

Ch-06 Relax while ya' can.

The water was cold, very cold. With no electricity they had to bear with the lack of any hot water what so ever. She didn't mind though, as it assaulted her skin she enjoyed the feeling of the frigid shower as it washed away the remnants of the dream. Ritsuko was not a very spiritual person; she was more the voice of logic and reason, so when it came to dreams she never looked to deeply into them. But this one, this one in particular shook her more then she would like to admit.

_It was a dream, that's all. A weird twisted dream brought on by stress and your own imagination._

Usually any awkward dream she may have had in the past would soon fade away and be forgotten, but this one lingered. She could still see the cold look on her double's face as it stared blankly at her, she could still see her mother pacing around the Magi, and she could still feel the sharp pain of the needle in her neck.

_What are you trying to tell me? Mother… did you do something to me? Did you hide the truth in that infernal invention of yours?_

Even if that were true, the Magi supercomputer couldn't possibly still be intact. With the vicious attack on the Geofront she was pretty sure there was nothing left of Nerv HQ altogether. Unless…

_If I'm my mother's daughter, then surely you would have backups stored somewhere... but where?_

She began to think harder. Naoko Akagi had been dead for some time now, if her mother had anything stored it would have been back at Nerv for sure. But even if Ritsuko was not alive during the final moments of human existence, even she had a good suspicion of what happened. Meaning that the Geofront, and all of Nerv HQ was most likely rendered a giant crater, there would be nothing of use to her down there now.

She sighed as she rinsed the last of the dye from her hair and exited the shower. Looking into the mirror satisfied that the brand of dye didn't turn her scalp green, Dr.Akagi was glad to be her blond self again. Now, every time she would see her own reflection she would see herself as an individual, and not just a clone of her mother's image.

She finished dressing, still having to settle for t-shirts and sweatpants since she really didn't have anything else that fit. She then rejoined Toji and Maya in the other room; the two were currently in the kitchen engaged in some strange argument that revolved around putting a pastry in with their lunch. Ritsuko ignored the awkward conversation and sat down at the table, PenPen quickly bounding up on the chair next to her and giving a happy '_wark_' in greeting.

"Hello to you too PenPen" She returned the greeting as she gave the penguin a pat on the head. Upon hearing her voice, Toji and Maya quickly ended their conversation and ran over to join the Doctor and the Penguin at the dinner table. Each carrying two plates of food as they set them down rather clumsily, the two seemed like they were trying not to make it obvious that they were fighting for the spot next to her. In the end, Maya won out by sneaking in a good stomp to the young man's foot. Ritsuko just pretended not to notice.

Maya grinned triumphantly as she took her spot. "Here sempai, I haven't seen you eat anything since you found me." She said as she placed an unrecognizable slurry of tomato paste and something else in front of Ritsuko. "Even if it's not very warm, it should still make you feel better."

"Ah… thank you Maya." Ritsuko replied as she hesitantly picked up a fork and stared at the… what ever this was. Toji and PenPen didn't seem to mind it, as they shoveled it into their mouths as if it were the last meal on earth.

"So, you want to talk about it?" Maya asked, as she eyed Toji and PenPen as they displayed the table manners of a caveman. She was referring to the bad dream that had apparently shaken her mentor quite badly, and seeing how Ritsuko wasn't one to be shaken very easily it left Maya with a bad feeling in her gut.

"About what?" Ritsuko replied flatly, still eyeing her meal as she swirled the fork around in the sauce.

Maya frowned, and as much as she knew her mentor didn't like to share her emotions, she had at least hoped their current situation would open her up a little. "Sempai, you know what…"

"Yeah!" Toji jumped in between bites. "You gave us a good scare this morning. I thought maybe a wolfthing had snuck in the house or something."

Ritsuko grumbled as her fork finally found what looked like a large piece of generic pasta, most likely ravioli imported from god knows where. "Like I said, it was just a bad dream. There's nothing really to talk about." She eyed the square piece of food as if it were alive, before popping into her mouth. She froze for a second, before opening her mouth and letting the square fall from her tongue.

"Aw c'mon its not that bad!" Toji said looking rejected. "Sure it may be cold but I'd like to see you heat something up with a match and nowhere to store it!

Ritusko looked down at her plate as she took in Toji's words, her eyes narrowed as she lost herself deep in thought. Toji didn't like the look she was sporting, and was getting worried he'd insulted her when she began to tap the fork against the plate. Suddenly she got up from the table and started towards the door. Maya and Toji followed, wondering where the heck she could be going now.

Maya was about to protest when Ritsuko held up a finger. "Give me a minute, I have an idea." And with that both went to the window and watched as the Doctor crossed the street. She approached an abandoned car and opened up the front hood, after a minute of pulling and prodding she had successfully removed the car battery and was now returning to the apartment.

"What the heck are you…" Toji tried to say but was silenced by Ritsuko as she passed by.

"Just wait." She placed the battery down next to the microwave before heading off to a supply drawer and removing various things. Wire cutters, some copper wiring and electrical tape. Both Maya and Toji, joined in by an equally curious PenPen watched as Ritsuko's hands worked as if they had minds of their own. She stripped the end of the microwaves power cord and attached it to the battery, wrapping the ends in extra copper wire to make sure there was contact and then sealed all the exposed parts with electrical tape for safety.

It took all of ten minutes before she got her plate and stuck it in. She punched in twenty seconds and was about to hit start when a thought occurred. She didn't exactly know how much of a kick the car battery had in it, so instead of risking having her face melted off she grabbed a broom and ducked behind the counter. Toji and Maya didn't want to be victims of a bad experiment, so the two quickly joined her as she reached out with the broom and hit start.

The microwave hummed to life, and everyone watched intently as if this thing was suddenly going to become a weapon of mass destruction. Twenty seconds later it beeped harmlessly.

Ritsuko walked over and took out her plate and tasted it. She nodded in approval and gave the thumbs up to the others. "I don't know how long that battery will last, so use it sparingly." She said, before sitting back down with Penpen to finish her meal.

Maya smiled in delight, glad to see her friend didn't seem as depressed as she first thought. "That's my sempai!"

Toji on the other hand was just flat out impressed. "I take back every bad thing I've ever said about nerds. Scientists rule!" Before rushing off to fight with Maya over who got to use it next.

"That's not exactly science, more of applied electrical knowledge." Ritsuko corrected.

"I don't really care right now, it was awesome and I got hot noodles that's all that matters." Toji snorted as he shoved in his plate.

"By the way, has anyone checked up on Asuka today?" Ritsuko asked as she tried to enjoy her meal. Despite being warm, it was still pretty nasty. Maya spoke up first as she waited for her turn with the microwave.

"I did, changed the bandages and gave her a bit of a wash too."

"Any change?" Ritsuko asked, quite glad that Maya was still devoted to caring for the girl.

"It sounded like she was trying to wake up when I was with her. Every now and then she would make a sound, and Toji mentioned afterwards that she had shifted position on her own." The microwave beeped and Maya shoved Toji away with a grunt.

"That's good. Sounds like she's going to pull through. All we have to do is keep the intravenous up and just hope her body can heal itself." Ritsuko said as she watched the two acting like siblings over the microwave. "Oh by the way. Don't use that thing if it starts flashing or smoking… or suddenly explodes." She said the last part really fast.

Maya and Toji looked at each other for a second, and then to Ritsuko with a worried look on their faces.

"What?"

* * *

As the day dredged on and the temperature rose, everyone felt like they were moving in slow motion. There wasn't much to do really and the little group was actually quite glad that they could just relax instead of worry about monsters or running out of food.

Maya had found an old novel amongst the endless array of old textbooks, consisting more of biochemistry, physics, and ridiculously advanced mathematics then suitable reading material for a hot afternoon. She was delighted to see it was a campy romance novel, and from the pristine condition of the cover she wondered if Ritsuko had even opened it. It was most likely a gift from someone, Maya thought, and decided to just be happy she found something to pass the time with.

Toji on the other hand seemed to have the best idea of them all, sprawled out on the couch, shirtless, and fast asleep. Maya gawked at how the boy could sleep so much, and the fact that he was hogging the sofa of all places. She let it slide, seeing as how this wasn't the biggest apartment on the block, not to mention the two of them had refused the idea of moving to the hospital. They felt comfortable here for some reason, and the sterile environment of a hospital didn't seem too inviting.

Still, Toji could have kept his shirt on it wasn't _that_ hot. Maya tried to ignore it as she passed, at least he seemed like a nice kid, a bit of a jock but he has a good head on his shoulders, when he's not obviously trying to impress Akagi that is. Maya frowned at all his antics, trying to sit next to her all the time, offering to make dinner when he clearly had no skill in that field, and the obvious shirtless move here. She deepened her frown at all the times he kept reminding her that Ritsuko had found him first.

_Sempai is not Misato, I can trust her. _Maya sat down in the bay window and realized what she just thought. _Trust her? What am I talking about! Toji is a teenager and Ritsuko isn't exactly… mine. _She looked over to the doctor she admired so much and sighed. Ritsuko was currently busying herself, fiddling with an old rusty electric fan and trying to get it to work on a mound of batteries. Poor PenPen who was currently suffering from the heat the most had lay himself down right in front of her workspace in hopes that the fan would suddenly spring to life.

Maya couldn't stop herself from blushing as she studied the taller woman's face. Ritsuko was currently deep in concentration, brilliant green eyes focused intently on her task as she tried to get the old fan working. Maya couldn't help but let her gaze fall to the woman's neck, powerful shoulders, toned arms…

_Maya… stop it_. She scolded herself. _Sempai doesn't... she can't… she's your boss for crying out loud you look up to her!_ She tried to clear her head by turning away and opening up the book in her hands. _Why did she have to come back like that though, is it just a cruel joke that god is playing on me?_ She caught herself stealing another glance and forced her eyes back to the small print of her novel. _I'll just have to settle for being a friend… Which is just as good. I'll be the best damn friend in the entire friggin' universe._ She let out another sigh before really getting back into the book.

_Still, I have to wonder what it would have been like back at Nerv had she always been like this. Misato probably wouldn't tease her so much that's for sure… and Commander Ikari would probably leave her well enough alone_.

A growl much akin to one the wolf creature made escaped Maya's throat as she remembered rumors about Akagi's affair with the Commander. She didn't realize it was that loud until she noticed Toji had woken up and Ritsuko was staring at her.

"Maya… you ok over there?" Ritsuko asked in a worried tone, a little surprised at the girl's sudden red face and flustered appearance.

"Ah… yeah… just…Um!" She turned deeper red, then quickly raised the book in front her eyes. "Just an intense part of this story is all… its… um… pretty good!" She hoped no one would notice that she was still on the first page… not to mention holding the book upside-down.

"If you say so, I never read it so you can tell me about it later." Ritsuko turned her attention back to her little project, while Toji went back to sleep. Maya slowly exhaled as everyone stopped paying attention to her.

_Get a grip Maya. Jeeze._

* * *

With an uneventful day came an uneventful night. Toji gave up the room to Maya, since PenPen seemed to prefer curling up with her, while he took the couch without any complaint. Ritsuko on the other hand found she had trouble sleeping. Not because she didn't have anywhere, with a single pillow in the large bay window she could sleep there if she wanted too, but for some reason she just wasn't that tired. She blamed it on her condition, as she did many a new thing she found odd about herself, and then decided to get some fresh air.

"Toji…" She whispered. "Toji you awake?"

"Mrr?" The boy answered through his sleepy haze.

"I'll be on the roof, so don't let Maya freak out if she can't find me for some reason. Alright?"

"Mrrrgh… Roof… Got it." Toji then rolled over and buried his face into the cushion.

Ritsuko chuckled at the boy, then exited the apartment and used the fire ladder to access the roof. She could have just jumped, but she figured acting normal every now and then would make her feel just a bit more human. She took a spot at the edge of the building the same way she did back at the hospital. The only difference this time was that there were no stars. The night was humid, and the overcast that turned the sky a dark purple was any indication that rain would soon be in their forecast.

"At least it might cool down things a bit." She said to herself as she inhaled the thick moist air. She looked back up to the night sky a bit disappointed, the real reason she had come up was to hopefully see the stars again. But all she got tonight was dull overcast with just the faintest of light that shone from the moon. Sighing, she looked across at the neighboring building and caught her own reflection in the empty window.

A few days ago she probably would have let out a gasp at the sight of the glowing green eyes that stared back at her. But after everything she's been able to do, frankly she just wasn't that surprised. _Guess that explains why I could see what I was doing in that hospital last night._ This revelation only fueled her desire to run tests on herself but she kept reminding herself of her other priorities at the moment. _At least until Asuka wakes up, then I can try to find out what the hell I am. And maybe look into some of these creatures that are running about as well._

She closed her eyes for the briefest of moments. It wasn't her intention to fall asleep, but when she opened them again it was morning. _What the…Maybe I was tired after all. _The light surprised her back to full consciousness and she couldn't help but feel a bit silly for falling asleep perched on the roof edge like a bird._ Maya is going to yell at me for this. _Ritsuko thought as she made her way back into the apartment. Almost immediately she could hear the two squabbling again over something ridiculous, and decided not to get involved. Opting for the couch, she sat down next to PenPen who was currently reading an old newspaper, and gave another _'wark'_ in greeting, once again alerting the others to her presence.

"Sempai there you are!" Maya shouted out from the kitchen as she ran over. "You weren't out on the roof all night were you?"

Ritsuko shifted her eyes for a moment trying to look as innocent as she could. "Uh… no?"

"Sempaaaaaai! You're going to make yourself sick!" Maya scolded her as a mother would her child.

"I didn't mean to, I just kind of fell asleep suddenly." Ritsuko tried to defend herself.

"Hey, Akagi-san can take care of herself you don't need to freak out over one little thing." Toji said from the kitchen, wondering why Maya was acting this way.

"You've seen what's out there Toji, what if something had snuck up on her in the middle of the night?" Maya continued to argue as her voice began to rise. Ritsuko just remained seated trying not to laugh.

"Then she would have turned around and broke it in half." Toji said simply. "I _do not _envy the one who decides to sneak up on our Akagi-san"

Maya huffed, even if she knew Toji was right she still didn't like Ritsuko taking stupid risks. "Just tell me you wont do it again." She said as she turned back to Ritsuko, hands on her hips and looking as serious as she could.

"Yes mum, wont happen again mum." Ritsuko said while trying to hold in laughter. Maya on the other hand started to realize how much she had blown this out of proportion, and just sighed as she turned away. Her eyes opened wide however when she felt Ritsuko grab her from behind and lifted her off the ground in a giant bear hug.

"I'm sorry Maya! I'm sorry for being so bad please don't send me to my room Maya!" Ritsuko yelled jokingly, squeezing the smaller woman as tight as she could without hurting her. "I'll be good from now on I promise!"

Maya wasn't hearing any of it. All she was aware of were the strong arms wrapped around her, and the body of the other woman that was pressed firmly against her back. She tried to squeak out a plea to let her go but her mouth would not function. Finally Ritsuko put her down and Maya regained some form of composure.

Maya stood for a moment, like she was standing at attention in the military, face unreadable. "If you're done being silly Sempai, I'm going to go take a shower." And with that, Maya left the room, leaving a confused Toji wondering why her face was so red. In fact, it only made him wonder why Maya always acted so awkward around Akagi in the first place.

Toji walked over behind the couch in thought, patting PenPen on the head as he leaned against the back of the sofa. "Hey, Ritsuko-san, ever noticed Maya acts kind of… odd around you?" He asked. Even if Maya only had been here for two days, he could tell she was quite possessive when it came to Akagi-san.

Ritsuko could only look at him as if wondering if she should answer his question or not. She doubted it would do any harm, but she wanted to see if he could figure it out on his own. "Isn't it obvious?"

"What do you mean?" He thought about it for a minute before his entire body when rigid. "You mean? She's… y'know… The other team?"

"Hrrm, I wouldn't say completely. I'm still hoping it's just a phase or just hero worship that she's taking just a wee bit too far, but there's definitely some… curiosity there."

"I see." He tried to keep his face from turning red as Ritsuko nodded. He cleared his throat. "And… what about… you?" He had to ask, his expression suddenly looking like he was about to get dumped by his girlfriend.

"Me? No no no…I'm as straight as they come. Maya knows this too; she just can't help herself sometimes it seems. I used to tease her a lot back at work, that's probably how all those rumors started come to think of it." Ritsuko said, then looking over she noted Toji was suddenly smiling at this revelation, causing her to raise a brow at the boy. "This news appeals to you I see."

Toji flinched. "What? Who... .Me? Why would you say that? Noooooo… I mean… well. No! I mean!" He was caught off guard and backed away from the sofa as he tried to worm his way out of this, talking a mile a minute. "Well, you're y'know... attractive and all… but! You saved my life how could I not…! You're too old for… I mean! You're not old! Not at all I'm the one who's too young! You want some breakfast? I'll go make some breakfast, everyone can do with some breakfast! Hey PenPen Breakfast!

The boy tripped over everything including his own feet on his way to the kitchen, leaving an amused Ritsuko and a disturbed PenPen on the couch. Ritsuko could only let her head lean back as she placed her hand over her face. _I shouldn't have said anything… _She suddenly felt something on her leg, and as she looked down she saw PenPen trying to snuggle up to her. "Now don't you start!" The penguin only looked up at her and '_warked_' before snuggling in again.

_Oy, what did I do to deserve this?_

* * *

"Akagi-san, we're running low on water, and the stuff coming from the sink doesn't smell too good." Toji rummaged around in the cabinet hoping for maybe a soda or something other then a clear plastic bottle. He gave up after finding nothing, a little disheartened at the lack of sugar in the entire place.

"Already? Do we have enough to last until tomorrow?" Ritsuko asked groggily from the couch. She was spread out quite comfortable on her stomach, with a sleeping PenPen on her back as they enjoyed the cooling wind of the fan that was sitting on the table in front of them.

"There's only three bottles left. We still have a lot of cans though but some snacks would be nice too." Toji added in that last part, what he wouldn't give for a bag of chips right now…

"Ugh… alright." As much as she didn't want to Ritsuko rolled off the couch, forgetting she had a passenger, the penguin _warked_ in horror as he was thrown to the ground suddenly. The Penguin got up flapping his flippers hysterically as he tried to figure out what the heck just happened before running off to hide. Ritsuko didn't even notice as she stood up and called for Maya. "Looks like we need some supplies, do you mind staying here while Toji and I venture out? I'd rather not leave Asuka alone, just in case."

As much as Maya would rather she go and Toji stay, she did as her Sempai asked. "Of course. Besides Toji could probably carry more anyway. You two just be careful out there ok!"

Ritsuko nodded, then motioned for Toji to follow her. Toji grabbed the trusted silver bat she had given him and quickly bounded up behind her, glad to be given the chance to get out of the apartment, even if it meant running into crabby things. As they got outside Ritsuko made her way towards the old van when she heard a disappointed sigh escape from the boy.

"Something wrong?" She asked.

"Well, after what Maya had told me, I was kind of hoping for a ride like the one you gave her." He scratched the back of his head, as he knew it sounded childish.

Ritsuko sighed. "And how would you expect me to carry everything back here?"

"True, true. But… you know…" He smiled oddly at her.

"…" Ritsuko said nothing. "Just get in the car."

They somehow managed to get the van started in only three tries, 'old Betsy' as Toji aptly named it, rolled clumsily out the driveway and they were on their way. Little did they know they were being watched by less then human eyes.

They didn't go very far, two blocks over and the van came to a stop in front a gas station with a larger then normal convenient store attached. Ritsuko looked through the glass doors from the safety of the van for anything suspicious, or furry, or crablike. Seeing nothing that would cause concern she gave Toji the all clear. The boy took up the silver bat just in case

"Go nuts. I'll be responsible for the water I guess." Ritsuko said, and a second later the boy was already in the store grabbing up as many snacks as he could carry. Ritsuko could only stand and scratch her head as Toji ran back and forth from the store carrying titanic amounts of varying snacks and soda. She had to force herself to stop watching and get the water before the kid filled the van to capacity.

It was on her fourth trip back to the car when the all to familiar feeling crept up on her. Her muscles tensed, the hair on the back of her neck stood on end, all the while a sensation like an innate instinct kept drilling into her brain that there was danger around.

"Toji!" She called for the boy who was too busy trying to rearrange the trunk so he could fit in more crap. "Toji!" The boy looked up from the trunk wondering what she could be yelling about, he just nearly missed catching the car keys as she threw them. "Get in the car."

"Huh?" He noticed she wasn't looking at him, and he followed her gaze over to the gas pumps. Looking up to the shelter over the pumps his eyes went wide as two massive black furry beasts stared back down at them. "Jesus Christ it's a werewolf!"

"Get in the car!!" She shouted as one of the beasts jumped down to the pavement right in front of the van. "Get in! Start it!" She was about to jump in between them, when she noticed the huge thing marched right past the boy, ignoring him totally and fixing its eyeless gaze on her.

Toji was about to take a swing at it with the bat when the other one jumped down in font of him, growling intensely. Ritsuko gestured for the boy to stop. "They want me, just start the car Toji!"

The boy didn't argue, and when he lowered the bat the second wolf ignored him, marching towards the Doctor instead. Climbing in through the trunk he got into the drivers seat and fumbled with the keys, his hands were shaking so bad he had to use both of them just to get the key into the ignition. He managed to get the key in, now he was faced with the task of getting old Betsy to actually start.

Ritusko took on a defensive stance as the two huge beasts surrounded her. Eyeless wolf like heads pointed in her direction, smelling the air as they stalked around her. Ritsuko snarled, she had first thought these things were just mindless beasts. But now, she couldn't help but wonder if these two were mad about the wolfcreature she had killed before.

"What? Did I kill your father or something? You want revenge is that it?" She snarled at them, waiting to see who would strike first. "Well come on then I don't have all day!"

As if on cue one of them lunged forward, claws out and teeth bared it slashed at her. She dodged it easily but in the midst of the attack didn't see the other one sneak around behind her. It managed to grab hold of her and just as it was about to bite down she threw her arm back and gave it a hard elbow to the gut. The creature moaned in pain but did not leg go, allowing the first wolf to get close enough to slash out. Ritsuko growled as three shallow claw marks stained her right cheek.

Not letting the first wolf to get another attack in, she timed her move. She swung herself up and used the head of the thing in front of her as a stepping-stone, and managed to flip herself up and over the one holding her. It never to let go, and as Ritsuko's own momentum increased it caused the giant thing to fall over backwards. The first one refused to let up as it bounded over its fallen comrade and charged straight at her.

Ritsuko had no time to react as the thing slammed into her, and she soon felt herself being lifted off the ground before being tossed into the air. She recovered gracefully in midair... almost… before landing on top of the store in a one armed handstand. It may have looked damn impressive but in reality it was just a well-appreciated fluke.

"Go Akagi-san!" Toji shouted from the safety of the van as Ritsuko posed magnificently on the edge of the building.

"Start the damn car already!" She cried out as she pushed off the building edge with her arm and flipped herself upright only to turn around and see the second wolf had jumped after her. She managed to get out of its way as it streaked past, but it quickly landed as well and leaped again in blinding speed. Again she was tackled, and now she was falling back down to the pavement below, letting out a pained grunt as she landed hard on her back. The thing on top of her growled intensely, before digging its fangs deep into her left shoulder.

"Gyarrrgh! Dammit!!" She cried out in searing pain as she felt the jaws clamp down harder. She tried to get up but the black furry beast had her hands pinned down. She was trapped.

Seeing its prey trapped under its brother, the other wolf decided to take advantage of this as it marched slowly towards them. Mouth dripping with slimy anticipation at the thought of joining in with its sibling, and tearing this annoying human apart limb by limb.

**SCREEEEECH - THUD - CRASH!**

Both Ritsuko and the creature biting her looked up at the sudden sound of screeching tires. Toji had finally managed to get old Betsy started, and seeing his friend on the ropes he threw the car in reverse and slammed into the wolf before it could help end the Doctor's life. The wolf itself had been hit so hard it flew into the pumping station, smashing the pumps themselves and laying still as it was knocked out cold.

The wolf that had Ritsuko was temporarily distracted, allowing her to free her right arm. She didn't hold back as she punched the thing vigorously in the face as hard as she could. Over and over again each punch landing harder then the next, until blood, teeth and whatever else began splattering everywhere. The thing howled out in pain before having enough, grabbing her fist and lifting her into a swing. It tossed the Doctor with such a strength that she smashed through the glass entrance of the store, sending her crashing into display cases where she disappeared under a myriad of snacks and broken bottles.

The wolf thing howled long and hard in triumph, as it stood tall on two legs. Toji noticed it was alone and out in the open and decided it was the perfect chance to end this thing once and for all. The boy grinned from ear to ear as he tried to think up the perfect quote for the moment. He placed his hands firmly on the wheel and narrowed his eyes. "Green light bitch!" Then stepped on the gas.

To bad he forgot the van in reverse, and only sent the car speeding backwards into the parking lot before crashing against the sidewall of the building next door. "I totally didn't do that… did I?" Toji whimpered as he looked over the wheel. He wasn't hurt luckily save for maybe his pride, but Betsy's trunk door was dented inwards pretty badly.

The wolf he was aiming for turned its attention to the crashed van, teeth dripping spittle as it saw the young, tender, fresh meat that hid inside that ugly metal contraption. Its main target didn't look like it was getting back up, so it decided that it deserved this reward for its own deed done. It began stalking towards the boy, its broken fanged mouth forming into what could be called a grin.

It stopped, as another howl filled the air. This one was different however. Not a mournful wolf-like howl, this one sounded more like the cries of a rabid Jaguar filled with pain and endless rage.

The eyeless werewolf looked towards the convenient store were the sound had originated from, its ears perked forward in confusion as is smelled the air. The next thing it knew it was on its back, as glass and metal exploded from the store. The wolf thing looked up into the wild bestial eyes of the human that was it thought was dead, yelping in fear as the woman snarled ferociously in its face.

Ritsuko was beyond angry, she was completely consumed by pain and rage that all she saw was the beast that tried to kill her, that tried to kill Maya, and would have most likely killed Toji as well. She was angry at the world, angry at her mother, angry at her own life. There was no grace in her attacks, no planned moves as the two wrestled on the ground. There was just blood, and glass, and pain, and rage and pure animalistic fury. Her attacks were so savage that they could have replaced her form with that of a lion or a tiger, and even the experts would not have been able to tell the difference.

Toji stared from the driver's seat of the van in frightened awe. Every now and then he would catch a glimpse of her face as it twisted into snarls and growls as she grabbed, punched and bit at her opponent. Her eyes were glowing even in the afternoon light, pupils contracted to near nothing as she lost herself to the fight.

The creature tried its hardest, tried to tear away the hands that grasped its flesh, and tore its fur. It tried to claw her, tried to punch back, but she was so lost in her bloodlust she ignored its swings. In its final attempt at life the wolf tried to bite her, only to have its neck snapped as she clasped its head in each hand.

As its limbs went limp and fell to the ground lifelessly, she stared at it. Blood dripped from her mouth as she glared at the thing with teeth bared. She hated it, she hated these wolf things, she hated the crab beasts at the beach, she hated this world for being so messed up, and she hated herself for being partially responsible _for_ messing it up. She let out another long growl before proceeding to punch the things face into the ground. Her fists smashed against its skull over and over until she was just pounding bloodied pieces of bone into the pavement.

She sat there on top of it for a moment, letting her breathing calm and the rage to fade away. She saw something though, amongst the pulp of brain matter that caused her eyes to soften and let her stoic self return. Reaching down into the slimy ooze that was once the creature's brain, her shaking slender fingers pulled out what looked like a computer chip. It was tiny, but definitely a silicon chip, as for what it was doing inside the brain of a eyeless werewolf…

Something stirred behind her, and as she turned around she saw the form of the other wolf trying to get up. It was clearly injured badly thanks to Toji, but from the way it was latching onto the broken pumps and growling it didn't look like it was ready to give up just yet.

Ritsuko would not give it the choice however.

Marching over to the pump she approached the monster and stopped right in front of it. The wolf let out a weak slash of its claws in retaliation, but Ritsuko easily grabbed its wrist and with little effort, snapped it. The wolf didn't make a sound, already in too much pain it simply turned its eyeless head to the human it despised so much, and opened its jaws in a defiant growl.

Ritsuko grew tired of this thing and grabbed the gas nozzle, forcefully shoving it into the wolf's mouth. "Suck on it!" She growled, as she squeezed the nozzle and listened as gas was forced down the things throat. The thing gasped and choked as the foul smelling liquid entered into it. Ritsuko listened for the 'ding' of the pump before letting go, and left the beast alone as it vomited, coughed and writhed on the ground with enough gasoline in its gut and lungs to power a small truck. It wasn't long before the monster fell fully to the ground and died, literally drowning from filled lungs, and suffocating on the fumes that came from its own mouth.

Satisfied that her attackers were both dead, she disappeared inside the ruined store one more time, and used the back room to wash as much blood off as she could. When she returned outside, Toji had pulled the car up front, being extra cautious not to run over the bloodied corpse of the werewolf that lay on the pavement.

"You okay… Akagi san?" Toji asked as she got in the van, worried that his only protector wasn't exactly in a sound state of mind.

"Yeah… just a little banged up. I'll be fine." She replied as she dabbed at the cuts on her face with a tissue.

"I… I don't mean that, I mean… what you did back there, what happened to you?" He couldn't help but steal glances at her as he drove; silently hoping what ever had come over her had passed. Ritsuko on the other hand stayed quiet.

"Just drive…" She said as she let herself rest against the soft seat of the van. "And… please. Don't tell Maya what... happened to me." Was all she said as she raised the tiny computer chip in her fingers and examined it.

"Sure thing Ritsuko-san" He took a quick look at it, not knowing what it was and remembering the sickening sight when she yanked it from the werewolf's pulverized brain. "Sure thing…"

* * *

"How did it go?" Maya asked as Akagi and Toji came back in carrying large crates of water, pop and snacks.

"Besides two wolf-things brutally assaulting us and me bravely taking charge and running over one…oh nothing." Toji said with an air of bravery, praying that Akagi-san had been still knocked out when he had backed the van into a wall like a dumbass.

"What?! But... there's still daylight we've never seen or heard anything out during the day!" Maya noted, her voice sounding scared.

"Well tell it to the monsters then, they seemed really ticked off at our Akagi-san. She splattered them though, just be happy you didn't see it." He left out the part where she went completely berserk.

"Why just Akagi…" Maya trailed off when she noticed the large slashes on Ritsuko's cheek. "Sempai! You're hurt!" She quickly ran up to her mentor and also notices the bite wound on her shoulder along with other cuts and scrapes. "What the heck did you do!"

"Your wolf friends Maya. I'm okay though, it looks worse then it is." Ritsuko smiled down at the girl sincerely hoping that Maya wouldn't freak out again. Ritsuko just wanted some fresh air and room to think, and was not in the mood to be scolded right now by an obsessive fangirl. "Just bring me some bandages please."

Maya did so, and helped Ritsuko patch herself up. Soon despite being sore in every place imaginable, she was as good as new. and was quite glad when Maya joined Toji in packing away all the stuff they had brought back. With the two distracted Ritsuko snuck off up to the roof again, with the computer chip in hand.

She held it up in the fading light and looked at it. There was nothing odd about it really, just a typical silicon chip, but what it was doing in the brain of a monster? Not to mention how they had seem to target her alone, left Ritsuko feeling there was a second party involved here. She pocketed away the chip, seeing as how she couldn't do anything with it right now anyway.

A flash of memory came to her as she recalled the fight at the gas station. She had to concentrate on her breathing as she remembered nearly losing herself. She couldn't describe the sensation; she didn't even feel like the same person anymore as she pounded on the monster like a rabid animal.

_Maybe that's what I am… an animal. Maybe I'm just some mixed up evolutionary throwback the LCL decided to throw out into the world._

She pocketed the chip again and sighed into the darkening sky. She inhaled sharply as sore muscles started to make their presence known, but in that single intake of breath she got more then just fresh air. Her nose was assaulted with countless pieces of information, the most important one being the person that was slowly creeping up behind her.

She didn't turn, and continued to pretend she had no idea that person was there. She sniffed the air again; this person wasn't a creature for there was the feint smell of soap. Another sniff and she could smell the rubber soles of the boots, the thick Kevlar material of the suit they wore, and the metallic smell of steel and gunpowder that she could taste on the back of her tongue as well.

She waited for a moment before quickly turning around, and with lighting fast reflexes she had taken the gun hand of her stalker with her left hand, and grabbed the person's throat in her right. She stood up, and even if her stalker wasn't very tall to begin with, her natural height only caused the person in her grasp to be raised off the ground.

"Who are you?" Ritsuko growled into the masked face and goggled eyes. It was clearly a female, as the lithe frame in her grasp struggled against her grip. Ritsuko tore the gun away from the woman's hand and raised her even higher off the ground. "Why are you stalking me?"

"Mrrph! Mrrrph!" The woman continued to struggle, pounding on the strong arm that was currently holding her up. Ritsuko frowned before tearing away at the mask and goggles so she could understand her, and see who it was.

Ritsuko's eyes widened in shock and she immediately lowered the woman down to the ground and backed away. "M-Misato?" She wanted to smile; glad to see someone else had come back and was alive, and that it was Misato of all people! She took a step forward, hoping to apologize for grabbing her like that, apologize for everything she has ever done, but the knife Misato had pulled out caused Ritsuko to stop. "What… what are you doing?"

The former Operations Director of Nerv stood firmly, arms at the ready with the combat knife poised to strike. The stone expression on the purple haired woman told Ritsuko that this was not going to be a happy reunion. "Are you one of their little creations as well?"

"What? Whose creation? Are there more people out there?" Ritsuko took a step forward only to have Misato flash the knife she had at the ready. "Misato what's going on! Tell me!" Ritsuko pondered disarming her and forcing her to talk. She did not doubt that she had the advantage in both speed and strength, but Misato was a trained soldier, well versed in CQC. There was a good chance of her getting a fatal blow in with the knife, and that was a chance she couldn't risk right now.

"So… your not with them?" Misato asked, her features softening just slightly.

"I don't even know who _'they'_ are. The only people I've seen alive are Toji, Maya and Asuka. They're all inside, go look for yourself I've been protecting them from these… things out here."

"The second child is still alive?" Misato stood up straight, her eyes changing from intense to curious at the news of survivors. Feeling out of danger she slipped the knife back on her belt.

"Barely, but we're taking care of her." Ritsuko let out a sigh of relief when Misato seemed to lighten up, then tossed back the silver gun. The purple haired woman caught it, and holstered it back on her belt as well.

"What the heck happened to you?" Misato asked, as she looked the Doctor over. "You're all… buff."

"That's a mystery as well." Ritsuko said honestly.

Misato grunted in response, then turned around and headed for the fire ladder. She stopped, turning her head slightly as she regarded the doctor for one last time. "Shinji? Have you seen Shinji?" Ritsuko shook her head negatively, and could only watch as Misato began to climb down the ladder.

"Wait… no more lies." Ritsuko lowered her eyes feeling ashamed and worried at what her old friend would think of her when she told the truth. "I have seen him, or at least I think I have. Twice now, but whenever I try to get close… he vanishes."

Misato looked at her oddly, almost as if she knew what her old friend was talking about. Again she let out a grunt, and continued down the ladder. "Don't follow me." She said in a dark tone, before sliding down the ladder and running off.

"Wait… where are you going!" Ritsuko leaned over the edge of the building and watched as her old friend jumped into a sports car and sped off. She would have jumped after her, but the sharp pains from the fight earlier held her back. "Damn it…"

Knowing full well that her housemates must have heard the car scratch off, she quickly descended from the roof and went back inside. Toji and Maya were waiting for her, wondering who the heck had just drove away.

"Sempai?" Maya approached Ritsuko who was currently lost in thought. Her mentor ignored her as she examined the front door. If Misato could sneak up on her like that…

"Why did I kick in the door? That was dumb of me… I had no key but still why break it, it doesn't close now." Ritsuko began to ramble as she started looking around. "We need a new door, a big ol' security door, a big ol' solid steel door that no one or thing can kick down, not even me."

"Ritsuko-san? You ok?" Toji was getting worried, after seeing what happened to her before, anytime she started acting strange now put him on edge. Both of them watched as their protector ran up to the bay window and looked out.

"Some bars on these windows too, big honking bars…"

"Sempai!" Maya shouted loudly, snapping the doctor out of her current state. "What's gotten into you?"

"Just had some sense knocked into me is all. We're getting too comfortable here, forgetting about the dangers outside." Ritsuko paced back and forth as she thought. "We need stuff, a lot of stuff before this place is really safe. We need to hit the mall."

"Hey…" A weak voice coming from the hallway caused everyone to turn around. "What's all the racket about? I'm trying to rest here if you don't mind."

"Asuka!" The three gasped simultaneously. The girl tried to take a step forward and staggered; losing her balance she nearly fell to the floor. In a blur of movement Ritsuko was there, catching the girl before she hit the ground.

"Easy… You've been unconscious for a few days you're bound to be a little weak." Ritsuko took the girl into her arms and walked her back to the bed. "I'm surprised to even see you up and about soon. You had us all worried."

"Dr.Akagi? Wha-" Asuka noticed the doctor's physical appearance as she was gently placed down onto the bed.

"It's a long story… actually its not really but I'll explain it all later." Ritsuko smiled warmly at the second child, feeling almost responsible for her condition. She quickly looked her over, not liking the eye that was currently stained red from untold damage. Ritsuko immediately checked it out, but in reality there was not much she could do. The girl seemed to be able to see still at least, perhaps over time it will heal itself properly. "I'll go grab some things and give you a look over, you just rest here and let us take care of you, alright?"

Asuka nodded weakly. "Um Ritsuko-san?" She called back to the doctor.

"What ever became of Shinji?"

* * *

AN : Sorry about the slow beginning I really wanted to have a bit of times pass before Asuka woke up and before getting to the nitty gritty. This was supposed to be two chapters, but it felt like it broke the flow of the story to stop it at the gas station. So that's the reason for the chapter length here…

SithKnightGalen: I completely forgot about Asuka's eye, so thanks! I was able to go back and add in a mention to it.

Thank you all for reviewing!


	7. Finds Inconclusive

Disclaimer – NGE and all its characters are copyright their respected owners, but I'd hope everyone knows that by now.

* * *

Ch-07 Finds Inconclusive

_Old Betsy_ plodded along as best she could down the highway as Ritsuko steered her around the stranded vehicles and other debris. Being hunted by werewolves, quite possibly turning into a berserker, being tracked down by your ex best friend? Where else to go but the mall to reinforce your homely defenses_! _Actually Ritsuko just wanted a new door and a generator, but after much consideration (and droning from her younger charges) she had decided to bring them along with her. They all could use a good break from the apartment, even PenPen scrambled out the room so as not to be forgotten. He now sat in the backseat on Asuka's lap warking at the depressing scenery of the abandoned city as they drove by.

Ritsuko was hesitant to bring the second child along, but her recovery the morning after she had woken up was nothing but amazing. Ritsuko was quick to just place the reason on the power of youth, but with the scarring on her arm and the damaged eye, Ritsuko just didn't know anymore. With the world the way it was right now and all the surprises she bared witness to, she was starting not to care either.

"So I know we've been stealing food to survive… but… we _are_ going to a mall." Toji said from the back seat next to Asuka. He had failed miserably in trying to ride shotgun, but Maya had been holding the silver bat this time around. "So, what are… y'know… the rules of… plunder?"

Ritsuko grunted. "I'm heading to the hardware store, so you three can do what you want." Her voice was gruff and raspy, almost sounding tired and angry at the same time. Toji couldn't help but feel a bit worried after what happened the night before, but he dared not talk about it at least not in front of the others.

"Akagi-san… you couldn't have gotten much sleep last night, would you like me to drive?" He asked sincerely, causing Maya to look a little distressed that she hadn't thought of asking the same.

"I'm fine!" She snapped, causing everyone in the car save for Asuka to jump. "I'm… fine…" She said again, this time a bit more composed. She took a deep breath and set her darkened eyes on the road ahead and concentrated on her driving, trying to block out all the thoughts and worries swarming her mind, not to mention the soreness from her injuries from last night.

"Sempai…" Maya spoke up, and Toji cringed hoping she wasn't going to ask about what happened last night. Ritsuko was obviously in no mood for a therapy session today, so Toji just sat and prayed Maya was not going to push the matter too much. "Something is bothering you. I know you don't like to talk about stuff, but we're here. We're the only ones here really so don't wait to long before you want to share. Who knows what may happen."

She was right… Ritsuko took her eyes off the road and looked to Maya for a second, her scowl never leaving. "I'm making another stop on the way home, I-I'm going to need your help Maya."

That surprised the smaller woman somewhat. "Of course Sempai! But… what would you need me for?" She asked only to be answered with silence. Ritsuko looked at her out the corner of her eye, green eyes glistening as they caught the morning sun. "Oh…" It dawned on Maya what she wanted to do, and realized she was the only one here with the technical skills to even remotely help her. "But… there's no power…"

"Hence the hardware store, I'll figure something out."

"What about us? We can help too!" Toji spoke up from the back not liking the idea of being left out of whatever they were planning.

"Unless you're versed in computers or biochemistry… I doubt you can. But the offer is appreciated." Ritsuko replied trying not to sound like she was shunning the boy.

"Bah…" Toji slumped back in his seat dejectedly. He wasn't mad, he just didn't like the fact there was something he couldn't do at all. Being useless can be one of the worst feelings in the world. "Just don't forget who made your breakfast!"

* * *

They all waited at the entrance as the Doctor made a quick search of the place, just in case. Being just a slight bit cautious wouldn't hurt one bit. This shopping mall was in the middle of the city and so far the creepy things that lurked in the night seemed to stick to the outskirts, especially around residential areas. With the discovery of the computer chip Ritsuko began to think those things had been placed strategically somehow, and with Misato's mention of _'them'_ the idea didn't seem so absurd anymore.

Toji paced back and forth while pushing Asuka in a courtesy wheelchair he procured from inside. PenPen sat in her lap quite happy to be carried around, his little penguin brain hoping to find a can of sardines somewhere inside. "What's taking so long…" Toji said growing anxious, not to mention bored. "You think something happened?"

"It's a big mall, and from what you've been telling me I think it's worth the wait. So chill." Asuka said in nearly a whisper, her voice still weak.

"Yeah… I guess. But-"

He didn't finish as Akagi made an appearance, walking past the three as if they weren't even there. "It's clear, you have an hour. Have fun." She grunted as she left the mall.

"Y-your not coming with us?" Maya asked, wondering why her mentor was acting very distant all of a sudden.

Ritsuko stopped. "Get only what you need, I'll be in hardware if you need me." And without another word she left the three.

Maya looked hurt, knowing something was wrong yet unable to even approach her friend with any means to help. She looked to Toji who was currently showing the same worried signs as she was, yet also trying not to make eye contact with her as if he knew something she didn't. She knew that look well, back at Nerv Makoto would make it often when he would be using the Magi's resources for things he shouldn't. Mostly for trying to download images of scantily clad females faster then the regular net could. Normally Maya would just let it slide, but this time it had something to do with her Akagi, and there was no way in hell she would just let this one go.

"Toji, did something happen last night?" She asked with almost a commanding tone as they made their way into the mall. The lights were off making the place look dark and a bit gloomy, but the huge skylight that made up most of the roof illuminated the place well enough to see. "And I don't mean when we heard the car drive away." As much as they tried to get it out of her, Ritsuko simply stated that she didn't know whom it was, and if they didn't want her help then so be it. Maya and Toji didn't argue with that logic and just went along with it.

Toji hesitated as he pushed Asuka along, not wanting to break his promise to Akagi yet also not wanting to keep secrets from his friend. "I can't go into details, but yeah, something did happen and to be honest… it was scary. It's not something we can help her with so… just let Akagi-san be for a little while. Okay?"

Maya nodded, understanding that her Sempai like to deal with things on her own, especially personal matters. Maya suddenly smiled as an idea hit her. "Well, we have an entire mall at our disposal! Why don't we try and find something that would cheer her up hmm?"

Toji liked that idea, and gave a thumb up in approval. The two suddenly feeling a bit better picked up their pace wondering what store they should wreck first. "Hey Asuka?" He tried to get the girl's attention when he noticed she was being oddly quiet. She merely looked up at him blankly, creeping the boy out a little when all he was trying to do was be a little considerate. "Uh…you want to go to any store in particular? I can't help but notice you could use some clothes."

"We all need clothes." She replied flatly sounding more like Rei instead of the loud fiery redhead the boy remembered her as.

"Well yeah but… seeing as how you can't really get around on your own yet… I thought _I'd be nice _and let you choose were we go first." Toji would never forget how she used to talk to him, or how she used to treat Shinji like dirt. But he also would never forget that she was an Eva pilot, and what she had done… or at least tried to do for the world defiantly deserved some respect.

"Its up to you."

Toji felt a headache coming on and wondered if it would be better to let Maya push her around for a bit. "Well then just tell me if you're in any pain or get tired then… alright?" She wasn't listening and Toji gave up trying.

Asuka stayed quiet as she was pushed along, PenPen suddenly warked as he spotted the large ornamental fountain and jumped from her lap. She didn't even notice, and instead had zoned out with her own thoughts staring blankly up at the blue sky through the glass ceiling.

_Shinji… _She repeated in her head as she stared at an errant cloud. _Why didn't you take me with you?_

* * *

'_Big Al's Hardware?'_ She didn't remember this store being called that. An American importer must have bought the chain. Had to be.

Ritsuko shook her head at the comical store sign and pushed open the large glass doors to the hardware depot, carefully taking in the scents before entering. There was nothing out of the ordinary for a large supply store such as this. Wood, metal, oil and rubber permeated as soon as the doors swung apart. There was one odour that stood out from the rest, one she was familiar with now. But she ignored it for the moment, knowing full well it wasn't one for concern.

She immediately dragged a huge trailer to the front entrance knowing that what she wanted was much too large to fit in the van. She just hoped _Old Betsy_ would be able to pull the thing when she was done. She started small, grabbing up nail guns and re-bar before piling on large flats of wood and coiled rolls of barbed wire. Finally she found a nice solid metal door with a hefty looking lock and hauled it back to the trailer. Now all she needed was the main thing she came here for, some extension cords and the biggest generator this store could offer.

She made her way down to the back knowing that's where the bigger more expensive items would be, ignoring the feeling of being watched. A gas-powered generator would be quite noisy she knew, but if it just could power some computers and maybe the oven or lights for a few hours a night it would be worth the noise. She immediately went to the largest one she saw, it looked more like a giant engine that had been pulled from a truck compared to the more compact camping models. This thing would be a gas-guzzler but seeing as how no one else would be at the gas stations Ritsuko didn't see this as a problem. All she cared about was being able to power the larger machines and equipment necessary to run the tests needed to unlock the mystery of her own DNA.

The slightest sound of fabric moving caught her ears and she began to grow annoyed that her stalker actually thought they hadn't been noticed. "I know you're there… I could smell you before I even entered this place." She said calmly as she slowly pulled the immense generator from its spot and onto a flat carriage.

"That's a neat skill to have you know, too bad it seems to come with the rest of the beastly package"

Ritsuko turned away from her prize and growled menacingly at Misato who was currently sitting quite comfortably on a stack of lumber, silver gun lazily aimed at the Doctor.

The purple haired woman raised a brow at the animal-like sound. "So, having some inner turmoil I see…" The woman jumped down and leaned against the huge metal storage racks, gun still in her hand at the ready. "So, what are you exactly? You got a killer sense of smell, I'm pretty sure you heard me the night at the hospital, night vision, and apparently you're crazy strong." She said looking at the huge generator Ritsuko had moved on her own quite easily. "So, what are you?"

"What does it matter to you?" Ritsuko snarled as her eyes narrowed dangerously. "You don't seem to want to share any of your secrets with me, why should I tell you anything?"

"Because you obviously have no clue as to what is going on, both with yourself and with the world, and while I'm on my quest to find out for myself I don't want to have to worry about some crazy beast woman ripping my throat out in the middle of the night." Misato's eyes narrowed as well, mirroring the Doctor's own as she got to the point.

"I have control over myself, you don't have to worry about that." Ritsuko turned back to the generator she had chosen, preparing to drag it back to the car. "Besides… right now you don't seem worth the effort." She added icily.

"Ouch… I'm hurt." Misato said sarcastically as she looked to her former friend with a slight grin. "But your losing it… aren't you." She said bluntly, crossing her arms as she saw the frown appear on the taller woman's face. "I can see it in your eyes, just this little trick of mine to get you riled up is causing you to slip ever so slightly, and from what I saw left back at that gas station the other night… you lost it completely on those monsters… didn't you?"

Ritsuko tensed visibly, not liking the fact that Misato had been playing with her this whole time, along with the fact that she was obviously spying on her. But she was absolutely right about everything she had just said. "I was... I was just trying to protect Toji. The feeling came and went and now I'm back to normal." She tried to convince herself.

"Normal… says the amazon with the tiger fangs."

"What?" Ritsuko turned eyes wide at that statement. Misato simply pointed to the accessories aisle, housing mirrors of every shape and size. Ritsuko hesitated at first as she came up to a large round one, looking at her reflection. She took a glance at the purple haired woman before turning back to the silver reflective glass, and opened her mouth.

She felt a cold chill run down her body at the sight of lengthened canines. She ran her tongue along their length wondering how she didn't feel them before, they weren't that obvious but defiantly longer. "No…" She let her head drop as she leaned against the wall.

"It's progressing, isn't it?" Misato said as she approached from behind. "So, did your mom boink a tiger or are you really a mad scientist after all?" She tried to say comically but the humor was lost in the situation. Ritsuko turned suddenly as she stood faced to face with Misato, snarling loudly not liking her attitude one bit. Misato responded quickly with the silver gun and pressed it up against the Doctor's jaw. Ritsuko growled low in her throat before backing off and turning away.

"So, what did you do to yourself? Inject Adam's cells into you just for fun?" Misato pushed the question, only to see anger flare in her former friend again.

"I didn't do this!" She roared, her voice echoing in the rafters of the store. "I don't know what's causing this! And it's driving me insane!" She grabbed hold of a metal shelf and slammed her head against it. Misato cringed at how hard she hit it, and at how loud the bang was. "I haven't had a chance to try and find out…"

"Easy there. If it will make you feel better, there's a college nearby with some computers and lab equipment you may be able to use. Not that hospital shit I mean the real stuff. Also, here…" Misato held out her hand to Ritsuko, in it held a computer chip similar to the one she had pulled from the brain of the werewolf. "Analyze this while you're at it. It came from one of our crabby beach friends and seeing the one in the smashed head of the wolfman back at the gas station was missing, I'm assuming you have it."

Ritsuko took the chip, wondering at the sudden change in attitude from the major. "Why are you helping me?"

"Covering my own ass." She twirled the gun in her hand before holstering it.

"And what makes you think I'm going to help you?"

She shrugged. "I dunno, I just do. So… good luck to ya I guess." The purple haired woman began to walk away and head for the exit.

"Wait! That's it?" Ritsuko shouted after her, not understanding what the woman's motives were. "What about the others you were telling me about? How have you been able to survive all this time?"

Misato did not answer and kept walking, this only got Ritsuko even more pissed off then usual. Ritsuko rushed the Major and grabbed her from behind. Tossing her against the wall in anger and in hopes it would scare the woman enough to talk. "I'm not going to be used anymore, not by you, not by Nerv. You tell me everything you know or else--"

**BLAM**

A gunshot went off, and Ritsuko back away holding her upper arm in pain. "You… you shot me!" She moved her hand to reveal that the bullet merely grazed her arm but that wasn't the point. Misato had actually fired on her.

Misato got up, gun still trained on her former friend. "I don't know what the fuck you are, or why you're even alive for that matter. As far as I'm concerned this whole mess the world is in is partly your fault. So until I know for sure I can trust you, you stay the hell away… got it?"

"Says the one spying on me." Ritsuko said in defence, a deadly snarl planted on her face showing off the newly discovered fangs.

Ritsuko only watched as the other woman slowly backed away out the door, gun still pointed at her until they she was out of eyesight. Ritsuko nursed her stinging arm as she tried to staunch the flow of blood that was staining the sleeve of her shirt.

"Damn it Misato!" She growled knowing full well she sounded more like a beast then human. She roared in anger, her voice echoing throughout the store.

"What the hell are you playing at?!"

* * *

A short time later, everything was packed up and ready to go.

_Old Betsy_ groaned and wheezed but she managed to pull along quite nicely with the amount of weight trailing behind. Everyone was quiet, even the penguin and it was starting to get a bit unnerving. Despite her stressful encounter, it was Ritsuko who broke the silence.

"So… what did you all steal today?"

"Sempai we're not stealing!" Maya cried out not liking the idea of being a thief. "All I took were some clothes that fit."

"I'd like to call it _surviving."_ Toji said from the back as he opened up a box and looked inside as if it were Christmas.

"Oh? I didn't think gaming systems were a necessity in a dire situation." Ritsuko said as she looked into the rear-view mirror and spied Toji with many an electronic box. "You realize you won't be able to plug that in anywhere?"

"One, it is when you're a kid and you get bored really easily, and two, it's a handheld, and I snatched enough batteries to last us for life." Toji suddenly grinned ear to ear. "I'm sure you'd like to play it to Ritsuko-san… I did spy that old-school system under the bed in the spare room by the way."

"What!" Maya looked astonished, there's no way her respect worthy scientist was into childish video games! "Is this true Sempai?"

"What can I say? I'm a nerd." She shrugged and kept driving. This only caused Toji to start giggling at Maya's reaction.

"Humph… world strongest nerd that's for sure." Maya said under her breath as she tried to ignore the boy.

"Wait!" Asuka suddenly spoke up from the backseat startling everyone else. She had her hands pressed against the window and looked out into a forested area. "Please!"

"What is it!" Ritsuko said, as she slowed the car down, not liking the distressed way Asuka was staring out the window. "What's wrong?"

"Over there… please… take us closer over there." She pointed out into the woods franticly. Ritsuko was curious now, and pulled the car off onto a grassy area and went as far as she could. The girl almost jumped from the car the moment it stopped, and with surprising strength considering she was still weak, managed to walk into the woods herself.

The others quickly got out calling after her, they didn't know what was going on or why she was acting this way but they knew they couldn't just let her go off on her own. They had no trouble catching up, she wasn't moving fast at all but even when they yelled her name she would not acknowledge them.

"Lets just see where she goes." Ritsuko finally said, realizing they could not stop her unless she lifted her off the ground. The three plus a waddling penguin followed close behind the girl as she led them through the forest. Ritsuko kept her senses sharp in case anything was lurking around, there were so many scents that anything could leap out at them from anywhere. It wasn't long until they came to a clearing and all of them, save for Asuka, stopped dead in their tracks.

They all watched as Asuka approached the form of Eva unit 02, or what was left of it anyway. All that remained were the outer armor casings and a few massive structures that looked somewhat skeletal. Asuka slowly approached a huge slab of armor plating, placing her hand over the faded red metal.

"I'm sorry." She whispered to it before leaning against the piece of remains. "I miss you as well."

Ritsuko frowned. "_She misses… 02? What did I do to these kids?"_ She thought to herself, disgusted that she never once thought of the mental trauma this girl had gone through during the final battle. She swallowed back emotions that were creeping up her throat. "Asuka." She walked up to the girl and placed a hand on her shoulder. The girl responded by turning around and wrapping her arms around the Doctor, hugging her tightly as tears streamed down her face. "Asuka… I'm…" She wanted to apologize, but realized what little good it would do. "Lets go home." She led her back towards the others and handed her off to Toji and motioned for him to take her back to the car. The boy nodded and did so.

"Maya?" Ritsuko called for the young woman as she looked back to 02 with saddened green eyes. "I'm going to take Toji and Asuka home, can I ask you to come with me to a research lab?"

Maya nodded in agreement. "Anything Sempai, but only if you stop looking so sad."

Ritsuko turned from the sight of the dead Eva unit and looked at her friend, unable to force even a smile. "I'm sorry. This guilt I'm feeling… its… overwhelming."

Maya ran up to her mentor and just like Asuka, wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug. "You're not a bad person Ritsuko-san, you're not a bad person." She said, before letting go as both headed back to the van.

"I really wish I could believe that Maya."

_I really do._

* * *

They had dropped Toji and Asuka off, and after a quick installment of a new metal reinforced door Ritsuko and Maya were preparing to leave again. Just as they were about to get in the car Toji came running out, something bundled in his hands.

"Ritsuko-san! Wait!" He shouted as he ran to the car. "I wanted to give you this, just something I thought suited you, to cheer you up and all." He handed her a balled up blue t-shirt that she took and unraveled.

Ritsuko looked at the shirt for a minute, then to the boy. "Thought you said I was spider-man?" She said as she held the blue t-shirt up to her, the superman logo displayed brightly on the front.

"Eh, they didn't have one your size. Thought this worked too." He said as he rubbed the back of his head.

Shaking her head she folded the shirt and handed it back to him. "I'll wear it tomorrow." She said smiling for the first time for the day. "Thank you Toji." She leaned in and gave the boy a quick kiss on the cheek for trying to cheer her up, and succeeding. "Now get back in there and take care of Asuka." She pushed him hard enough that he fell on his ass with a thud.

"Hai! Ritsuko-san!" He said from the ground blushing like a madman before getting up and running back into the house.

Ritsuko turned to get back into the car only freeze at the glare Maya was wearing. The woman was fuming from her seat in the car and probably didn't even realize the mask of insane jealousy she was wearing. "Uh, you.. ready to go… Maya?" Ritsuko asked cautiously, and let out a sigh of relief when Maya suddenly smiled back at her and nodded.

It didn't take long to reach the place Misato had mentioned, and considering it was the only college around it wasn't hard to find either. Ritsuko parked _Old Betsy_ and then went to drag the generator out the back. Maya could only watch as her mentor hefted the huge thing, she was unable to help knowing it would been much to heavy and to even attempt would only end up with her probably dead. So she settle for opening the doors as Akagi dragged the thing down to the basement and set it up.

Being in an enclosed space the generator was so loud it hurt. It wasn't meant to be run indoors, and as soon as Ritsuko saw the lights of the place turn on, she got the heck out of there before she died of exhaust poisoning. Grabbing Maya before she passed out from fumes, the two made their way through the college until they came across the science department.

The lab itself wasn't very big, the computers were old, but it had larger more expensive equipment that wasn't usually found in a school environment. They wasted no time; not really knowing how long that generator would last down in the basement. Ritsuko had herself scanned, poked, prodded and jabbed as Maya helped take blood samples and set up tests. Ritsuko didn't exactly enjoy the physical, but Maya had insisted they look for any other anomalies similar to the fangs that had appeared. Maya didn't react too much to them, and simply said that they made the Doctor look distinguished. Luckily Ritsuko didn't find anything else on her, and only let her younger friend check her back where she couldn't see, Maya didn't mind… obviously.

As time passed and information was fed into the computers, it came to a point when they could do nothing else but wait for the slow pc's to do their job. The boredom set in really quickly, and the two weren't talking except to ask how much longer they had to wait.

"Sempai? Um… Toji told me… well actually I asked him and he said that, something scary happened to you last night." Maya felt slightly scared as Ritsuko looked at her, not wanting to get the boy in trouble yet wanting to know what was going on at the same time was frustrating. "Well, you want to talk about it?"

A low growl came from the blond as she sighed. "I… I lost control, and I became…" She tripped over her own words. "I'm afraid that whatever has me like this, is still progressing. Its why we're here right now, I want to know what I am… what I'm becoming, and make sure I wont end up hurting you in the end."

Maya only looked on with concerned eyes as she took in the words. All this time she just saw her mentor as some kind of guardian brought back to protect the survivors. But things like that only exist in comic books, what Akagi was going through right now was very real and was not turning out to be completely beneficial. "You're not an animal if that's what's bothering you."

"Yet." Ritsuko said in a cold tone as she turned away to stare into a microscope at a sample of her blood, seeing nothing out of the ordinary, but just looking would not tell them anything, they would have to analyze it on a molecular scale. The conversation over, the two once again waited as multiple tests were being run and calculated on the college computers.

Maya realized no more would come from her pep talks, and busied herself over at another station as she waited for the results of the physical scans to finish printing. "First results are in, nothing that we didn't expect already though." She turned to the first page and began reading things off. "Elevated red and white cell count and blood pressure, you have the heart and lungs of a racehorse but considering the way your muscles work as opposed to a normal human these numbers are quite normal. Bone and muscle density is almost sixty percent higher then average!" Maya blinked at that, she knew the Doctor was quite strong but actually seeing the numbers put things in perspective. Ritsuko could probably flip a small truck if she wanted to, not to mention not having to worry about breaking a bone any time soon. It also explained why she was quite heavy, though Maya kept that number to herself for now, not wanting to freak out her friend anymore then she is.

"Forget the physical, get to the DNA." Ritsuko said as she rubbed at her tired strained eyes.

"Still a while to go for that one Sempai…" Maya said as she fiddled with something in her pocket. She had seen how her Sempai had smiled at the silly t-shirt Toji had given her, Maya had wanted to do the same but now worried that her gift was a bit too personal. Looking over she saw Akagi bent over a microscope as she ruined her eyes examining a blood sample and Maya decided this was the best time to ambush.

"Huh?' Ritsuko jumped slightly at the feeling of something on her neck, she turned to see Maya standing behind her smiling sheepishly. Looking down she saw the glint of a pendant attacked to a thick black rope necklace, picking it up in her hands she saw it was the silhouette of a panther leaping. "What's this for?"

"A thank you, for saving me, and being there when I needed you. Not to mention putting up with me for all these years."

Ritsuko snorted with laughter. "That was what was probably keeping me from going insane. Thank you Maya."

She was going to give the girl a hug when the nearby computer finally beeped. They immediately ran over and the two gazed at the monitor with a disappointed look.

"That's impossible…" Ritsuko said as the results showed themselves. "There's… absolutely nothing different?"

"I'll do parental matches, make sure it's not a computer error." Maya said as she typed away. The screen flickered as it searched its database, almost immediately a picture of Naoko Akagi appeared on screen but the second scan seemed to linger on too long. They waited and waited as the computer worked, it seemed like it was trying to mock them with its slowness. Finally it stopped, but the image remained blank with a red bar that flashed across it.

"No match, finds inconclusive?" Maya read off the screen though she really didn't have to. "Is… that possible?" She looked back to Ritsuko who had a baffled look on her face.

"I have a father… I know I have a father. Mother never talked about him much except to ..." She began thinking long and hard about her past, her mother really did never talk about her dad, in fact she doesn't even remember her mother mentioning him at all. "I … must have a father…" She felt her blood suddenly run cold at the possibilities this could pose. She had to sit down as her body reacted to this news. Maya put a reassuring hand on the blonde's shoulder as she began to hyperventilate slightly.

"I can cross check the data again Sempai. These computers aren't the Magi, they just might not have the resources to find what we're looking for."

Ritsuko calmed her breathing, her eyes darkened as she tried to think up something. "Widen the search…"

"To what?" the smaller woman asked.

"Everything."

"But…"

"Just do it!" Ritsuko barked and Maya obeyed. "You're probably right, but I just want to make sure." She said softly when she realized she just yelled at her friend. "These computers don't have the resources to find what I…. don't want to find. But even so, if there is something it should at least come up as an unknown."

"You mean… Angel?" Maya said as she looked to her mentor with a sudden frightened look.

"Yeah." Ritsuko replied. "I fell into the underground pool of LCL when I… died." She ignored Maya's sudden shocked gaze. "Maybe… maybe I was contaminated by Adam's cells somehow." _Or maybe I'm a construct… just like Rei._

Maya wracked her brain as Akagi bombarded her with this information. This is why she was a technician and her Sempai was the scientist, the poor girl just couldn't wrap her head around all the different endless possibilities that scientists constantly worked around. Again the computer worked, and again the image of her mother appeared, but this time two more blank boxes showed up.

"Damn it!" Ritsuko pounded her fist on the lab table, cracking its surface. "This isn't going to work." These computers didn't have the data or the ability to gather it elsewhere. Ritsuko needed the Magi she knew that, she needed her mothers files. But Nerv was gone, even if anything was left own there, she didn't even want to face that place again. But she had no choice unless her mother left data laying round elsewhere… maybe old GHERIN facilities…

Ritsuko knew she would have to go searching on her own, she couldn't risk bringing along Maya this time, she would sneak off when the time was right, but for now…

"Alright… one last thing then we go home." She said as she removed the two computer chips from her pocket and handed them to Maya. The girl didn't even ask what they were and just began to work. Opening up a computer terminal and connecting various cables to it, she then hit a button similar numbers began to run as the computer deciphered the chip. When it finished both of them stuck their faces closer to the monitor trying to understand what they were looking at.

"Is that what I think it is?" Maya asked as she saw two lists of names and picture id's of hundreds upon hundreds of people scroll down. She looked back up to Ritsuko who was now growling intensely not believing what she was seeing.

"It's a hit list!"

* * *

A/N

Non action chapter.. booo! But I wanted to get these tests out the way and show Rits being grumpy after going berserk. Dunno when my next update will be only because I have people visiting for the next month and I don't know if I will be able to update anytime soon. 'whimper'

Anyway, next chapter is going to deal with more action, and something 'kinda bad .

Commader Galos: Thank you for the tip about GHERIN, I've only watched the series through once so I don't always remember things like this. :3

Thank you all for the reviews!


	8. Men In Black

Disclaimer – NGE and all its characters are copyright their respected owners, but I'd hope everyone knows that by now.

* * *

Chapter- 08 Men In Black.

Beautiful day or not, everyone took it upon themselves to keep their distance. They understood why she was acting this why, and try as she might to keep herself busy, it was still very clear that the good doctor was in a dangerous mood.

They all watched as Ritsuko toiled outside the apartment, setting up defenses. She had lined the roof with barbed wire so nothing could climb up except for her, and was now laying out the rest randomly in the small few feet of grass yard the apartment had.

The small urban apartment was slowly looking more like a military shelter from an old WWII film. As long as it kept the creepy crawlies out, they could live with that.

Watching from the safety of the window, which was now nicely barred with thick steel rods, the two kept their distance as Akagi kept to herself. She wasn't eating, she wasn't taking breaks at all and when she had run out of supplies for a certain task, she would pace back and forth mumbling and growling to herself until she could find something to improvise with. They didn't blame her; finding out you may not have a father and were quite possibly the subject of a madwoman's experiment would leave anyone feeling rather sour.

So now they sat and watched, and cringed every time Akagi would catch her finger on the metal barbs and lash out in anger. Throwing the roll of wire and whatever else there was in the immediate area and cursing at it as if it could hear her.

"So, she's getting worse?" Toji asked as he sat next to Maya watching. She had told him everything they learned from the night before, and even if he couldn't understand most of the scientific techno-babble, he did understand the part about not being able to match a father to your DNA is usually a _bad_ thing. "It doesn't seem that horrible…"

Maya looked at the boy for a second before shaking her head. Just like she did before, he wasn't seeing the full picture and just saw a woman who looked more like a comic-book superhero then anything else. "It's not the physical changes Toji, I don't think anyone would mind what she's got… so far anyway. She's more worried that she's losing her mind."

The two looked outside as Ritsuko stuck a finger again and threw the entire roll of wire clear across the street and onto the roof of the next building. After a second of reprise she then roared in anger as she realized she had to go over there and recover it.

"Oh…" Toji thought back to the night at the gas station and how terrifyingly feral the woman had looked. If that was just the prelude to what she was becoming… "Yeah ok… that does sound bad now."

"Akagi Sensei will figure something out. She always does." Maya said sadly, looking back out at her angry friend. "I just wish there was something we could do, I feel so useless."

"Hey at least you know computers and stuff. If anything were to happen to her, lets face it; it'd be only a matter of time before something made a meal of me." Toji leaned forward as he thought about it. "Heck, even if she's around in a fight all I'd be good for is maybe whacking something up the skull with that baseball bat, and then run away."

"At least you would be able to run away, I'm not exactly the athletic type if you haven't noticed."

Toji made no comment, Maya was indeed quite small compared to the average woman, and if he hadn't met her prior to third impact he probably would have mistaken her for a teenage girl. "Well then how's this. I promise if we ever find ourselves in a sticky situation, that I'll be there to whack whatever's attacking you upside the head to give you a head start when we both run away, alright?"

"You really mean that?" Maya looked at the young man curiously, wondering if he was just being silly or not. But the tone of his voice didn't sound like he was making fun.

"Well… yeah I guess." He looked away suddenly blushing madly. He couldn't help but feel a bit awkward as Maya leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Aww, that's so sweet! I don't think I've ever had a guy offer to bludgeon my enemies should I be in danger." Maya giggled as she leaned against poor Toji as they both watch Ritsuko work. Toji on the other hand was trying to think of a way to change the subject, and ended up going about it the wrong way.

"So, you _are_ into guys?" He coughed, and then realized what he just said. _"Oh crap, why the hell did I say that of all things!"_

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?" Maya sat up and took her gaze from the window, one brow raised as she tried to look Toji in the eye.

"Uh, I mean… well. You _are_ kind of possessive when it comes to Ritsuko-san, and well even Shinji used to say he heard rumors…"

Maya couldn't help but groan as she pinched the bridge of her nose. _'Not this again.' _Sighing long and hard, she had hoped that rumor stayed in the bowels of NERV, obviously it spread further then first thought. "Listen its not what you think, or what anyone thinks for that matter. Yes I love Sempai, but I'm not _in_ love with her!" She sighed again and got up from the windowsill and walked over to the couch. "Look its hard to explain but back at NERV working with her, I adored her, she was just so smart, so perfect... so… I don't know, but I wanted to be her. I can't help it if I'm a bit defensive when it comes to her, I don't want to see her get hurt"

Toji stayed seated, listening intently and beginning to understand. Maya wasn't on the _other team_; she was simply a small boyish shy little woman taking a case of hero worship just a tad too far.

Maya turned back to the window to see if Toji was actually listening, and then looked back outside. "And now look at her, its like there's nothing she can't do, its like she's…"

"A hero?"

"She's not!" Maya yelled just a tad louder then intended, hoping maybe she could get that idea out of the young man's head. Fortunately she didn't have to, and his answer gave Maya a new respect for the boy's maturity.

"I know. She's not a super hero, this isn't a comic book, and there's more then likely not going to be a happy ending to our story anytime soon." Toji said more seriously then Maya could ever think he could be. "And frankly, if anything were to happen to her I doubt we would last two days alone, not with those monsters out there."

Toji shifted in his spot, his own thoughts unsettling him. "We keep saying how hard it is for us to accept that we're useless, defenseless. Well, what do you think she's going through? I doubt there's not a second that goes by when she's not worrying about us, and she has good reason to." Toji scratched the back of his head and continued to look outside. "So, considering our situation… it does feel good to think she's a super hero, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with dreaming."

Maya titled her head to the side as she regarded the young man and took in his words. "Oh Toji." She then sat back down and leaned against him once more. He was right, they may be unable to help her, they may be useless in a fight, and their situation may be completely hopeless. So…

Maybe a little dreaming was the best thing to do.

* * *

The wind was blowing harder. Dust, trash and debris rolled and sailed along in the breeze. Dancing in the streets and alleyways like some invisible force was putting on a show. It was mesmerizing.

"Ritsuko-san?" Toji called again and again from across the room trying to get the woman's attention. Whether she was ignoring him or was just daydreaming, they couldn't tell, and in all honesty they were unsure if it was safe to break her from her contemplative state. In reality she was deep in thought, as she sat at the windowsill staring blankly out at the bright windy day they were having and ignoring the world around her.

"Sempaaaaiii, earth to Akagi-san." Maya tried without resorting to shouting, and still she didn't prevail. The Doctor continued to stare out the window, her brow furrowed and arms crossed while fingers strummed silently on a knotted bicep.

She was thinking on everything they had learned last night. The list of names of about everyone who lived in Tokyo-3 stored in the brains of monsters, not to mention the monsters themselves. The fact her DNA was more screwed up then first thought, and the possible fact that she could have no father. Her entire life, her entire life was turning out to be one giant lie, and the only one who knew the truth was long dead and gone.

**Thunk**

Ritsuko's head was nudged to the right slightly as an empty water bottle bounced off her skull. Brought back to reality from the sudden attack, she ever so calmly turned her head to the source of the projectile and eyed the two over in the kitchen. Toji and Maya froze under the emerald gaze, and then pointed at each other trying to put the blame on the other.

Ritsuko sighed, realizing she was being quite anti-social in her frustration, and quite selfish in her own depression. "Sorry… it's hard not to think about some things. I'm not ignoring you guys honest, I've always been known to get caught up in my own thoughts."

"Hey it's understandable." Toji said as he watched Ritsuko take a seat at the table. She flipped through the printed stack of names that came off the chip, it went on for hundreds of pages and many a name had a red circle at the end. All of them came to the conclusion that could only mean the worst, that the person had actually come back, only to be targeted and killed by the monstrous beach denizens. Ritsuko noticed one thing in particular, as she double-checked the list.

"My name isn't on here…" She noted out loud as she checked and rechecked the list. It was in alphabetical order, so unless even her own name was false she should be seeing it here. "If my name isn't on this list… then why was I attacked?"

Maya walked over unfurling a second stack of paper they had printed out. "Look Sempai, maybe these numbers are some kind of profile? Gene sequences maybe? Something so the monsters know who's who and what's what?"

Ritsuko took the paper and looked it over, the page was simply a name followed by what looked like random numbers. Without knowing what exactly this list was for besides assuming it was a hit list, it would be impossible to decipher this. "Its possible, and…"

"And if your DNA has been altered, then those creepy things can't tell you apart from any one else!" Toji shouted out, only to get awkward glares from the two women. He puffed out his chest and crossed his arms. "What? … I've been paying attention!"

"Y-yeah…" Ritsuko tried to regain her train of thought after Toji's outburst. "That also makes me wonder about someone else, or more importantly… how she could survive with those wounds." Her finger slid down the page of names, stopping on one in particular.

"Asuka? But those things were practically ignoring her when I found her." Maya said, remembering when she first came back and how lucky she was to get away from the crab things. "Maybe then, that's a … 'do not' kill list?"

Ritsuko replied by flipping a few pages and pointing to another name. Maya looked down and saw her first last and middle name spelled out clearly, it sent a chill down her spine knowing those things targeted her. "Oh…"

"Maya, you wouldn't know of any old Gehirn installations would you? There's only one I know of, where my mother used to work before moving out to NERV but I doubt there would be anything left after all this time."

Maya thought long and hard for a bit, trying to remember if anyone at NERV could have mentioned anything. "Sorry Sempai. That may have been before my time." She said with all honesty, saddened she couldn't help her mentor any further.

Ritsuko looked disappointed, the less info she could find would only lead her to the one place she didn't want to go. She quickly changed the subject, knowing if she dwelled on it too long someone would suggest the obvious route. "How is the second… how is Asuka by the way?" She asked, as she let her head rest in her palms. She nearly called the girl the second child, and mentally kicked herself for it.

"She came out a few times to see what you were doing and to have something to eat, but she's been asleep for most of the day. She still looked a bit banged up so we just let her go back to bed." Toji answered, then looked confused as Ritsuko got up again and headed for the door.

"You haven't noticed anything… awkward about her?" She asked in mid stride. Toji shrugged not having noticed anything out of the ordinary save the fact the girl was alive. "Alright, thank you for keeping an eye on her then. Both of you."

"No problem Akagi-san, but... um… where are you going?"

"I need to clear my head, you know where to find me." And with that she headed to the roof, just a tiny bit surprised as well as a tiny bit relieved that Maya didn't protest this time around.

She used the roof access not wanting to disturb the defenses she put in place, and perched herself on the buildings edge in the same way a stone gargoyle would look. The wind was still blowing, and Ritsuko decided to listen instead of think. Clearing her mind for at least a moment and enjoying the breeze and the warm sun on her back.

She saw her reflection again in the adjacent building, and watched as the wind barely ruffled her tight fitting clothes and blew through her faux blond hair. She then looked down and saw her freakishly strong legs that kept her in place, but also could propel her faster then she could ever dream possible. She frowned at the rippling muscles that ran along her arms holding her balance perfectly on the buildings edge, wondering what purpose her mother; _if _her mother was responsible for this, would have for making her so strong.

Who else could it be besides her mother? Ritsuko was positive she never experimented on herself, and even if she did why would she have no memory of it? Perhaps Gendo, knowing how crafty he could be, not to mention the nights they were together. He could have easily done something sneaky. Stick her with a needle when she was preoccupied with something else, drug her food, and even spike a drink. That didn't seem likely though, Gendo would have no use for a beast-woman especially if it meant she would ultimately have more power then him.

There were too many different scenarios she could come up with, all of them leading back to NERV. She needed the MAGI, she needed the research, and she needed answers before she went insane. But, for some reason something was holding her back.

_NERV. I could go right now but… I don't want to. I can't… I can't bear to see that place again._

She let out a long drawn out sigh as her reflection betrayed her. She had wanted to clear her mind, but as usual her thoughts began to flood their way back in like a river over a broken dam.

She felt a headache coming on, and she ran a hand through her hair only to wince in pain as something scraped across her scalp. She pulled back her hand to see her fingers tipped with the beginnings of sharp black claws. She didn't gasp in surprise, or feel any form of fear or anger. She simply flexed her fingers, examining them with a strange fascination.

_Mother… what the hell did you do to me?_

* * *

Night had fallen and the wind had picked up something fierce. The sound of it whistling through the streets was slowly lulling Maya to sleep as she tried to keep her eyes focused on the book she was reading. Toji wasn't helping, as he lay on his back playing his little portable system for hours on end, the cute music from whatever game was in the machine stuck in Maya's head, and she was soon humming along with the tune.

"Oy, what time do you think it is Toj?" Maya asked trying to rub away the sleep that was attempting to close her eyes.

_Did she just call me Toj?_ Toji blushed a little at the honor of getting a nickname from the shy woman. "Uh, I dunno' probably pretty late, I'd guess around midnight or so." He shut his game off and sat up, crumbs and chip bags fell to the floor in an unflattering manner as he stretched his arms. "Is the Doc still up there?"

"Yeah and the wind has really picked up, I'll go see if I can coax her into coming inside."

"Alright." Toji said in a half yawn. "I'm going to bed so, good luck with that." He then flopped back down on the couch and rolled over. Maya could only shake her head at the boy sleeping in a bed of crumbs.

She made her way to the roof ever so quietly, opening the door carefully as not to startle her friend should she have fallen asleep again. Instead she saw her mentor stalking back and forth, green eyes glowing brightly in the darkness. Maya couldn't help but noticed the wide-eyed look the larger woman was sporting.

"Sempai? Are… you okay? Its kind of windy to be up here I was wondering if you wanted to come back down?"

"Something's not right." Ritsuko said, pacing back and forth, walking the roofs edge and making Maya very nervous. Any normal person would have fallen over a hundred times already, and even if Maya knew that her friend wasn't exactly _normal_, it still made her weak in the knees seeing her so close to the edge. Ritsuko growled and grumbled as she leapt back and forth from one end of the building to the other, smelling the air for any unknown scents.

"Ritsuko, please stop pacing you're freaking me out." Maya said as she watched her friend act paranoid. She looked over the edge only to be hit with a gust of wind that left her feeling like she would be blown over. Sitting down so the feeling of vertigo would subside and being careful to avoid getting tangled in the barbed wire. Maya could only frown at her Sempai's actions. They had not seen signs of anything since the night at the gas station and she was beginning to think the good doctor was just becoming restless.

"I can't help it… something's wrong." Ritsuko said as she leaped to Maya's side and crouched next to her almost protectively. "Please, get back downstairs something is… setting me off."

"Sempai please. Your senses haven't failed you yet, why would they now? Its probably just all this crap flying around." Maya placed a hand on Ritsuko's shoulder, trying to calm her down or at least help focus her for a moment. "One thing at a time alright? Do you see anything?"

Ritsuko looked confused at first and just stared at her friend as the wind blew around them. "Uh… no?"

"Good. Now, do you hear anything?"

Ritsuko looked away, closing her eyes and concentrating. "No."

"Okay, now tell me what you smell."

Ritsuko inhaled deeply, once, twice and then opened her eyes. "Everything… and nothing."

"Um, what?" Maya asked as she watched Ritsuko stand up and try again.

"I can smell everything, the wind is carrying so many scents it's nearly impossible to pinpoint one. It's a sensory overload."

"But you're not feeling any immediate danger either right? So there's nothing to worry about." Maya tried to reassure her, feeling a bit better when Ritsuko wandered to the middle of the roof and away from the buildings edge.

"I don't know, something just seems wrong tonight, and with this wind…" Ritsuko suddenly froze, glowing green eyes wide as it dawned on her. _The Wind!_ It roared in her ears deafening her, it moved the dust and debris blinding her, it also blew strongly in one direction killing her sense of smell to anything that was coming _downwind_.

"But how would they know!" She shouted as she turned and followed the wind's direction, only to be struck in the shoulder with a large dart.

"Sempai!" Maya screamed as she saw the dart hit her mentor, and then was silenced as a hand covered her mouth as she was grabbed from behind.

Ritsuko staggered on her feet as she tried to get to Maya, growling intensely at the black suited person who was currently manhandling her friend. The dart was quickly running its course, and she could feel her strength fading fast.

At first she thought the black suited person was Misato, but the frame was much too big, clearly a male and there were differences in the gear he wore. Misato's outfit was borrowed Police gear, this one seemed more military with thicker almost armored areas on the chest arms and legs.

Her eyes flared as she tried to fight off the effects of the dart, forcing her legs to work. She prepared to pounce, but just as her feet were about to leave the ground another body slammed into her hard. The wind was knocked from her lungs and she saw stars as her head slammed into concrete.

"Forget her! Focus on the big one!" The one who had just tackled her to the ground shouted out to his friend. Ritsuko raised her head and saw as Maya was discarded and pushed away to the side, nearly falling off the edge of the building. The man then kicked Maya away with a boot to the ribs, this only enraged Ritsuko, and even under the effects of the dart in her shoulder she was certain she was more then a match for the doomed man on her back.

Animalistic growls escaped from deep in her throat as she began to push herself up, the man on her back tried to tighten his grip on her but it was to no avail. She reached around with one arm and grabbed at the back of his scalp, the man screamed in pain as her fingers and newly discovered claws dug deep into skin. She then managed to get to her feet and stand up, and flung the man over her and slammed him hard into the ground.

The man gasped as the wind was knocked out of him, when he regained his senses he looked up to see nothing but glowing green eyes and silver white fangs. He then felt himself being grabbed by the throat and heft off the ground. The man panicked, and made the mistake of pulling a knife from his belt.

"We've done nothing to you, why are you doing this!" She shouted at him, still fighting off the effects of the dart that was slowly but surely affecting her. Her captive simply responded by raising the knife in his hands and sinking the blade deep into her shoulder. She hissed in pain, and narrowed her eyes dangerously at him.

"Wrong answer."

There was a horrible crack as she squeezed and the man's neck was snapped like a toothpick. Ritsuko then reared her arm back and threw him into the adjacent apartment, smashing him through a window. Glass and debris clattered and sparkled everywhere in moonlight as he disappeared into the darkened building.

She lingered on the sight making sure he wasn't going to get back up, ignoring the fact that she had just killed a man. She also was ignoring fact that there _are _other people out there alive. They weren't alone after all!

Ritsuko turned to see the other guy staring at her as if waiting for something, he had stepped away from Maya at least, the smaller woman now slowly inching her way towards the roof access thanking the powers that be that they didn't seem interested in her. Ritsuko glared at the man, snarling wildly with fangs bared. She turned around suddenly as another set of footsteps came up behind her. She crouched down defensively as two more men scaled over the wall, gloved hands easily bypassing barbed wire put in place for monsters.

The man she turned away from took his own knife, and decided he was going to get a shot in while she was facing the other way. There was another sickening crack, and Ritsuko turned back to see the man fall flat on his face, and Toji waving the trusted silver bat, now bloodied, high in the air. He was about to run towards the others, but Ritsuko held out an arm stopping him.

"G-get out of here T-Toji! Take Maya back inside!" Her speech was slurred from the dart, and she was starting to have trouble keeping her balance.

"Hey, these aren't monsters, I'm not leaving until they're all down!"

Ritsuko turned back to the two men, who had also pulled out combat knives and were waiting for their mutant target to make a move. Ritsuko noticed they had no firearms and frankly she didn't care, all the more easier to deal with them. She didn't wait for them to make the first move, and with a howl charged right into them. Grabbing and snarling and biting, she tackled one to the ground and ignored his desperate attempts as he stabbed at her arm. She used her own weight to keep him pinned and with the pain of the knife clouding her mind she felt herself begin to lose control.

She was overcome by instincts to survive, to protect, to _kill._ With a final fierce growl, Ritsuko sunk her fangs into the man's throat and began to thrash wildly left and right, tearing flesh and breaking bone.

Terrified, the second man hesitated as blood splattered everywhere, even Toji was at a loss for words, his eyes transfixed on the gruesome sight.

Not knowing what else he could hope to do, the man pulled out his own tranquilizer gun and fired off round after round into Ritsuko's back. Clearly not enjoying the stings from the darts, Ritsuko quickly leapt from her victim and pounced at the one shooting her.

He somehow managed to get out of the way in time, but Ritsuko was so fast she had already turned around. A powerful fist to the gut and the man dropped his gun. She hit him so hard his feet left the ground, and with another swift movement she grabbed him by his neck. Her other hand still free she grabbed his belt, and with a bit of effort due to the overdose of drug running through her, hefted him over her head.

Crimson red dripped from her mouth and chin as she snarled. Too overcome with adrenaline and rage to be bothered by the multiple darts, she easily carried him over her head ignoring his cries as he realized what she was about to do. She gave a final eerie snarl, and then without hesitation, threw the man over the edge. There was a short cry as he fell, followed by a wet thud.

Satisfied that all her enemies where dead. Ritsuko let out a roar of victory that echoed into the moonlit sky.

Toji and Maya wanted to leave, go back inside and forget what they were seeing. But instead they were frozen on the spot, only able to stare in awe at the blood-drenched woman as she stood in the moonlight, every muscle tensed while eyes glowed madly. She was a beast in every sense of the word.

As her mind came back to her and the adrenaline began to leave her system, Ritsuko turned to face them. Wobbling unsteadily on her feet as she reached behind and pulled the darts from her back. She opened her mouth as if she was about to say something, but only a strangled whisper escaped her as she succumb to the darts and stumbled backwards off the roof.

Toji and Maya both shouted out for her as they ran to the edge. Ritsuko fell straight down, landing hard on a dumpster and denting it beyond recognition before landing face down on the ground. The two quickly ran back down through the building and out to the back alley where Ritsuko lay, fearing the worst.

"Please tell me she's not dead! Please tell me she's not dead!" Toji repeated hysterically as Maya turned Ritsuko over and checked for a pulse.

"She's breathing, but she's out of it… obviously." Maya pulled the dart from her shoulder along with any others she found and tossed them away. "Toji… we can't stay here! They're after her; they know were we are and these defenses were made for monsters not trained men! Wait… men! Those were _MEN!_"

"I know I know! C'mon help me lift her" Toji said, realizing what Maya had picked up on but also knowing it wasn't exactly the best time to discuss the fact they weren't alone in this world filled with monsters.

"But what about Asuka and PenPen?"

Toji swore, having forgotten about those two in the mayhem. "Those guys weren't after us, they didn't even have guns for crying out loud. Hopefully they don't even know about Asuka in there, once we find a place to hide Ritsuko-san we can come back for them." Maya nodded, seeing that as the best idea since they didn't know if anyone else, human or not, was still lurking around.

"Holy hell how much does she weigh!" Toji grunted, straining as he wrapped Ritsuko's arm over his shoulders and tried to get up.

"Uh... you don't want to know…" Maya said, having just as much trouble as she did the same, but together they somehow managed to get moving.

"Wait you know?" Toji asked quizzically, raising a brow.

"Um, yeah. One of the machines took it automatically when we ran some tests. I-um... didn't tell her."

Toji raised a brow at that. "So… how much?" He asked half smirking while dragging the unconscious Doctor, welcoming this idle conversation to get his mind of the bloody mayhem that just ensued.

Maya didn't want to say it at first, unsure if it was a good idea. "Promise you won't tell her when she wakes up?" Toji nodded, and still Maya was a bit hesitant to tell. "Considering we're actually moving her… you're going to feel a bit proud of yourself."

"What? Just spill already." He was beginning to sweat, and he noticed Maya was also having the same difficulty. Both quickly ditched the idea of carrying her as they began to tremble under Ritsuko's weight, opting to simply drag her along seeing as how that's the only way they were managing right now.

"Two-sixty…"

"WHAT!" Toji tripped, and almost as if being aware of her actual weight made her heavier, he fell over bringing Maya with him.

"Arrgh Toji!" Maya cried out, trying to get back up from under her mentor.

"Sorry sorry!" He apologized as the both of them somehow managed to get back up. "That's impossible she doesn't look it at all! That's just… crazy."

Maya dropped the subject, regretting a little that she actually told him. She then began to blush, as she remembered something. "Hey Toji. Thank you for keeping your promise."

"Huh?" He didn't understand what she meant at first, and then it hit him when his knee struck the bat that was tied to his arm by a thin rope. "Oh! I did!" A huge grin grew across his face. "Well, even if I _did _just kill a man. You're welcome."

"I don't care if you just killed the president of the universe that guy was going to hurt us. I'd give you a kiss but it'll have to wait."

"That will just give me incentive to walk faster you know that." He grunted from under Ritsuko, still not believing how heavy she was.

"As flattering as that is, I really don't think that's possible Toj." They both laughed as they forced themselves onward, not sure of where they were heading yet, just as long as they put some distance between them and anyone that may have been hiding around the apartment.

They moved as silently as they could, the wind masking the sound of their heavy breathing as they trudged on. They never said another word, but somehow they agreed on a destination, and one exhaustingly long hour later they pushed their way through the doors of the hospital, drenched in sweat and gasping for air. They weren't picky, finding the closest room and collapsing inside it.

* * *

A/N

Ugh, I hope this chapter is all right. I've totally lost my vibe while the family is visiting, but I really don't want to abandon this story. I'm just going to keep pushing through it and hopefully get back into that pace I had going. RAWR!

Thank you for reviews as always!


	9. Men Monsters and Misato

Disclaimer – NGE and all its characters are copyright their respected owners, but I'd hope everyone knows that by now.

* * *

Ch-09 – Men Monsters and Misato

_Ritsuko-san._

"Who's there?"

_Ritsuko-san!_

"Shinji? Is that you?"

_Maybe, open your eyes Ritsuko-san_

It hurt, every ounce of her being was in pain. Muscles ached and bones cracked, she didn't want to move let alone open her eyes. But the voice compelled her too, it was the voice of the one boy she needed to see the most, she needed to know he was alive and well. She needed to say she was sorry.

She forced her eyelids opened, and immediately had to shut them tight for fear of being blinded. "Oh… what… the … hell…." Everything was a blurred cacophony of hot white, bright blue and… and…. swirling pink elephants?

Oh right, horse tranquilizers… Fun!

_Over here Ritsuko-san!_

The voice again gave her reason to bear through the pain as she managed to get to her feet. She noticed she wasn't wearing the borrowed the sports apparel, but was now garbed in what she would usually wear to work, white lab coat included. She also noticed she was her old smaller self, no fangs or claws in sight.

Then she looked up, and saw him.

White shirt, blue pants, those sad brown eyes and that innocent round face. The very semblance of the nerdy little kid that would get picked on at school, and that was something she could at least relate to him with.

"Shinji! You're alive!" She began running forwards but got no closer. She pushed herself harder, trying to get closer to him but every step she took he began to flow farther and farther away. She stopped, understanding what was going on, the swirling colours, the clothes and her smaller stature. "No…" She fell to her knees defeated. "I'm dreaming aren't I?"

_Yes, and no._

She jumped, startled at the sudden sound of his voice directly behind her, she quickly turned and saw him standing there. His face the same as ever, smiling ever so slightly. "Shinji? What is this? What's happened to you?" Ritsuko tried to move closer, but her body responded violently. Her limbs suddenly becoming tired and exhausted as if she had just exerted herself to the extreme. She tried to reach out to him, but her arm felt as if it were moving through molasses. "Why… This wasn't in Gendo's plans… why is all this happening!"

_You're the only one I could count on, the only one with the abilities needed. It was incredibly lucky actually, but, I had to do it. Please don't be mad._

"Mad?" She didn't understand what he meant. "Why would I be mad, what did you do?" Did he mean the reason she came back from the LCL or the changes to her body? Nothing was making sense. Despite the slowness and the fatigue, Ritsuko pushed her body as hard as she could and for the first time was wishing she was still her powerful self. Somehow she managed to get close enough to him to grab his collar. But as soon as her fingers touched the fabric of his shirt, his form began to fade away, melting with the glowing light around them.

"There's so much I need to tell you! So much I want to ask you!"

_Take care of them; the ones now and the ones still to come. It's why you were brought back; you're the only one who can._

"You did this to me? It was you that brought me back?!" She held on as hard as she could, trying to tug on his collar and keep him from disappearing. The harder she tried, the faster his form faded away.

"Shinji! Shinji don't go!_"_

_"Ritsuko!"_

"Shinji! Please! Shinji!"

"_Sempai! Stop it please!"_

"I'm sorry!"

She jolted awake, the real awake… nothing remotely pink and swirling in sight, only the dreary dark hospital room with the single stream of light shining through a grungy window. She felt something tugging on her arm and nearly gasped in shock when she saw Maya, hopelessly trying to get her mentor to let go of her.

"Oh my god!" Ritsuko realized she was nearly throttling the poor girl and quickly let go. Maya dropped to the floor gasping for air and rubbing the slight cuts on her neck from sharpened claws. Ritsuko quickly got up and was by her side, desperately hoping she didn't injure the girl seriously.

"My god Maya I'm so sorry, please tell me you're alright!" She bent down to pick up the girl and make sure she was okay, but as she leaned over her head swam and her body ached. She soon found herself on all fours next to her former assistant.

"Careful Sempai, you were pretty much overdosed on sedatives. Not to mention badly bruised up from that fall you took. Get back into bed." Maya ordered as she helped Ritsuko stand, proving to the older woman that she was just fine. "You were talking in your sleep, I came over to see if you were ok… I guess I got a little too close huh?"

Ritsuko lay back down on the cot and placed one hand over her eyes and another on her sore ribs as events came back to her. She groaned as she thought about it, the men on the roof, the darts that hit her, not to mention the weird dream she just had. Her brain revolted, leaving her feeling like she had a hangover worse then any she had ever achieved when she and Misato would go clubbing.

"I had a strange dream, a _really_ strange dream. Sorry about…y'know." She pointed to the slight cuts on Maya's neck.

"That's okay. I came to make sure you were still breathing when you started mumbling something in your sleep." Maya features suddenly turned serious, and Ritsuko couldn't help but notice the slight moisture in her eyes.

"I stopped breathing?" Akagi asked with a raised brow.

"They pumped you so full of tranqs not only did you stop breathing… but your heart stopped as well. Twice." Maya rubbed at her eyes, trying to hide her feelings and not look like a worried child. "I… I thought I had lost you."

Ritsuko felt a chill run down her spine at that. Counting when Gendo shot her, she had technically died three times now. If it weren't for Maya, this time would most defiantly have been permanent. "You saved my life?" Ritsuko smiled warmly at her, thankful that Maya could be here with her all this time. "Thank you."

"Just returning the favor." Maya looked away and rubbed away a single tear that threatened to spill, and then turned back with large grin plastered on her face. "You're so muscley I was almost unable to revive you!" She giggled as she poked Ritsuko in the chest playfully.

Ritsuko returned the laugh and pulled Maya into a bear hug. "I'm sorry, but you can't blame me for that. I had nothing to do with… well, all of this." She flexed her arm and Maya gently stroked the powerful knot of muscle that coiled itself under her skin.

"Yeah, but I bet its fun to be so strong huh?" Maya said as she got up from the hug and leaned on the bed railing.

Ritsuko could only smile at her sheepishly, and replied with a simple- "Sometimes." Ritsuko's mood suddenly changed as images from the night before came back to her. She sighed, and despite the pain her body was in and the rally cars racing around her skull, she got up from the cot and began to put distance between herself and Maya.

"Sempai?" Maya couldn't help wonder what brought on the sudden downcast look her mentor was wearing.

"Those men on the rooftops, I lost control again didn't I?" She stated more then asked, her voice sounding quite sad. "I …killed them all!" She looked down at her hands, remembering how she effortlessly snapped one man's neck without second thought. She looked back to Maya and to the marks on her neck as well. She could have so easily killed her too. "I should leave. You're not safe around me." Ritsuko looked away suddenly unable to even look Maya in the eye anymore.

"Sempai those men were _attacking_ us, you only did what you had to." Maya took a step forward and frowned as Ritsuko responded with a step backwards.

"But I didn't have to kill them, I didn't have to bite that man's throat out, I didn't have to drop another off a building… I didn't have to be so _savage_." Ritsuko continued to back away, green eyes wide with fright.

"Hey well, we're just as guilty as you are then! Toji pretty much bashed someone's brains all over the roof trying to protect me! Are you saying he was wrong to do so?"

"No, that's different Toji would never hurt you! Me on the other hand… I can't guarantee that anymore." Ritsuko backed into a wall and jumped as she bumped a coat rack that was in the corner. A bleached white lab coat was hanging from it, and Ritsuko suddenly lost her train of thought. She eyed it for a few seconds, wondering if that dream she had was really that, a dream. Or if something else was at work here all-together.

The sound of a phone ringing took both of them by surprise, with the power out its ringer sounded like a weak bell in an old fashioned alarm clock. Neither of them once thought that the phones would still be working, which was silly now that they thought about it, as long as the lines were up there was no reason for them not to work.

Maya inched her way towards it, wondering who the heck would be calling here of all places. Slowly she lifted the receiver, looking to Ritsuko for approval she placed it to her ear. "H-hello?"

Ritsuko waited patiently, training her ears to listen to the one on the other end. She could hear the voice but not make out the words, so she waited impatiently as Maya made no sound.

"Oh? That's strange…" Maya spoke, only causing Ritsuko to motion with her hands to tell her who the heck it was. "Well, only if you think its safe." Maya lowered the phone for a second telling her that it was Toji. "Yeah she's awake, banged up, but alright in the long run." Maya paused again, listening quietly. "Ok, just be careful." She hung up and let out a relieved sigh.

"Where the heck is Toji that he needed to call you?" Ritsuko asked, realizing only now that the boy wasn't anywhere in sight.

"He went back to get Asuka. After you fell we didn't really have time to think, we just ran like hell and carried you here… well… dragged really." Maya rubbed her sore shoulder, still wondering how in the world she and Toji even managed to get here.

"Wait, he went back there alo-arrgh!" She growled as a sharp pain struck her injured ribs, she stumbled her way back to her cot and flopped back down. "That's too dangerous! What if—"

"Those men last night weren't interested in us in the least. They didn't even have weapons besides knives and what they shot you with. I'm pretty sure Toji will sneak his way back here without being followed." Maya grabbed a chair and placed it by the bedside. "There's not much of a choice anyway. We can't always rely on you Sempai…"

Ritsuko responded to that with a low growl. If her dream had told her anything, it was that someone wanted them to rely on her more then ever.

"Anyway, Toji said he saw nothing on his way back home. Human or furry. He even said the bodies of those guys were gone too; so he was going to grab some of our stuff then head back here. You just relax okay? Let us take care of you now."

"I should be dead." Ritsuko whispered to herself more then anyone. Maya only frowned and looked to her mentor.

"Perhaps, but you're not. So. What are you going to do?"

Ritsuko leaned back into the cot and sighed. She had no choice, she was in no condition to be fighting anything right now let alone walk around. The look Maya was giving her gave her an idea though, and for the first time she was wondering what was going on inside the head of her former assistant. "What do you think I should do?"

Maya tapped her chin and tried to look as thoughtful as she could. "Well, right now I want you to stop playing hero and acting like you're duty-bound to protect us." Ritsuko looked away, after all she's done, that was one request she knew she couldn't follow. "But… when your all healed up." Maya continued, suddenly looking rather sinister, her eyes and voice both darkened. "I want you to find out who those guys were, what they are doing, and where they are hiding. Then go _tiger _all over their asses for disrupting our happy little home just as we were settling in."

There was venom in her voice. Maya was never one for violence or aggression, but Akagi couldn't help but feel the same way. Ritsuko couldn't keep it in; she let out a growl and smiled at the smaller woman.

"If you insist."

* * *

Three days went by. Three long boring days of recovery until she was healed completely, normal humans would have taken weeks, actually… a normal human would have splattered all over the pavement. But she was well, and tired of laying around doing nothing. It was time to get back to business of finding out what the hell she was, and also why those guys wanted to capture her. Every day that went by she felt less and less human. Fangs would be longer, claws would be sharper, she wondered it would ever stop or would she one day wake up with stripes and fur.

It took a good bit of arguing to convince the others they couldn't come with her. For one it was too dangerous, and second she wasn't too sure where she was going. For Gehirn she had two choices, she could go north to Kyoto where she was quite sure an old installation had been used, or she could head to the coastline in the south. There used to be a city there and she remembered Fuyutsuki mentioning something about a base at one point in time.

There was also the obvious choice. NERV itself. But Ritsuko for some reason could not bring herself to even think of that place without shuddering, and decided not to go there unless absolutely necessary.

She headed towards the front entrance before either Toji or Maya could start up again and beg her to let them come. Just as she made it to the main hallway however she was stopped in her tracks by the warm water penguin. She would have just walked around him, but something about the way he was staring at her this time, with his small black little eyes, unnerved her somewhat.

She turned her attention to the sound of rubber and metal squeaking against the tiled floor, and Asuka soon appeared from down the hall, pushing herself weakly in a wheelchair. Penpen broke his gaze from Ritsuko, waddling along and leaping into Asuka's lap and making himself comfortable.

Asuka looked to the doctor. Despite her amazing recovery she was still very weak, and uncharacteristically silent. The once fiery young girl had retreated into herself; only speaking when spoken too, and usually avoiding the others save for Penpen, who seem to take it on himself to stay with her wherever she went.

"How come you get to see him and I don't?" Asuka said rather unexpectedly. Ritsuko blinked wondering if she actually meant who she thought.

"What do you mean?" The doctor asked, not letting this rare conversation with the girl go to waste.

"Ikari, and I don't mean the dirty old man. You see him don't you? I've tried, tried so hard but he wont talk to me. I miss him, I miss the stupid-kind-silly-little-baka Shinji."

Ritsuko nearly took a step back, she didn't remember telling anyone but Misato that she had, or rather thought she had, seen Shinji. She looked behind her making sure none of the others were around or in earshot, and then got down on a knee in front the girl. "I…" she hesitated at first, wondering if this was a good idea considering the girl's mental state. She didn't exactly want to encourage any thoughts that might be detrimental to her recovery.

"Yes, I _think_ I've seen him briefly, but whenever I try to get closer he vanishes. Just like a ghost." Ritsuko studied the girl's features before continuing, watching for any reaction to her words. "I also had a dream about him, a very strange one. He said… or rather hinted that he was the one who brought me back."

Asuka stared for a moment, her head slightly tilting to the side as she gently stroked Penpen. "He must have had good reason to." And then as if Akagi had simply told her the time of day, Asuka began to wheel away.

Ritsuko just watched her leave, not sure what the purpose of that exchange was for. She simply shrugged it off and decided to continue on with her plans. Just as she was about to open the door Asuka called out from down the hall. "You have scary hands."

Looking down at the long sharp black claws that graced her fingers, Ritsuko simply shook her head and continued on her way.

* * *

"Is she gone?" Maya asked as she quietly peeked around a corner. Toji was right behind her, more confused then ever and wondering why they were actually trying to avoid Akagi for most of the morning.

"Yeah she headed out a while ago, why? What are you up to?" He said, wondering why Maya was suddenly going into sneak mode, and definitely not liking the look she had in her eyes.

"Just get your bat, we're heading out to an office I saw when we dragged Sempai here. The lights in the building were flickering." She grabbed Toji by the wrist and was pulling the young man along in a hurry.

Toji blinked. "You mean that place could have power! But how is that possible? The whole city seems to be out by the looks of it!"

"I don't know, could just be luck, could just be a power surge, and could just be a small spot on the grid is still working. All I know is that it was an office, and offices have computers, and I have an idea." The shy quiet lab tech seemed more determined then she ever had in her entire life and was in no mood to waste time. Poor Toji had to reach over a desk and snatch the trusty silver bat in passing as Maya latterly dragged him out the doors.

"Shouldn't we tell the Doc about this at least?" He had to ask. He knew Maya could barely take having the woman out of her sight, and now she was sleuthing behind her back.

"No, what I'm going to be looking for she's avoiding for some reason." Maya's eyes narrowed, and then she tugged on Toji harder trying to get the boy to move faster. She wanted to be back before Akagi unless she _wanted_ to get an earful of how dangerous this idea was. "C'mon Toji all you have to do is watch out for baddies."

They took every back road and alleyway they could find, thankful that the monsters seem to have disappeared since the appearance of human attackers. That fact alone made it obvious they were connected, but for what purpose Maya hoped perhaps this outing would shed a little light on.

It took about fifteen minutes to get to their destination, the building was a plain grey brick three-story office complex. Private offices it seemed since there was no business name anywhere on the front. Toji managed to pry the lobby door open easier then expected, and just as Maya had said, the lights were on.

Well, some of them anyway. Some were flickering, and some were sparking rather badly. The two were incredibly cautious around what they touched, in fear that a current was running through a doorknob or a light switch. Ever so carefully they checked for a working room, and finally on the third floor Maya found a computer that looked to be operational.

The lab tech quickly booted it up, smiling gratefully at this offering of good luck for a change. When the operating system finally warmed up Maya got to work, bringing up program after program and typing away madly, not taking the chance that the power suddenly die… or the computer explodes due to a power surge.

"Ok, I've been good and quiet for the most part, but now I have to ask…" Toji tried to keep up with what the small woman was doing but her fingers were moving so fast his eyes soon began to cross. "What in the world are you doing?"

"If NERV is still up and operational then there's a good chance the MAGI has to be as well. That computer was locked into every known power source available so unless it got destroyed itself… I should be able to hack into it."

"A big computer huh? You think those guys are from there as well?" Toji asked rubbing the back of his head. Unless it was about video games, computer talk usually gave him a headache.

"If this works, more then likely."

"And Akagi has been avoiding it?" Toji tried to make sense of things, but just made his head hurt even more.

"Akagi is avoiding NERV as a whole, she was involved in some research that… was a direct result of third impact. She's not too proud of that… obviously. Why do you think she's been acting so down around us all the time?"

"Is that why she's so overprotective too?" Toji thought about it for a second. "She feels guilty?"

"Pretty much." Maya answered as she typed away.

He watched her for a moment as data streams numbers and letters flew by the screen. "What… what did she do at NERV exactly that she hates herself so much?"

"Like I said, she knew what was going on, helped bring about the end of the world… just leave it at that."

"Oh…" Toji dropped the subject, realizing he would probably prefer not knowing completely. "Um, if this computer is so great, what if it starts tracing where you're hacking from?" Toji had seen movies, things could be traced and it usually only resulted in bad things happening.

"Then I unplug this sucker and we get the hell out of here." Maya suddenly leaned closer to the screen as something beeped. "I… I think I've actually found it!" She clicked away at various files, bypassing security and looking for anything that had been changed recently. She didn't find anything suspicious, or related to monsters aside from the Eva's.

Toji looked as well, but all he saw were hundreds of windows and files flashing away on the screen. It was only by luck that his eyes caught the familiar name. "Hey look that one says Akagi." He pointed to an open window with folders in it."

Maya immediately clicked on it and without another thought began to print stuff off. She didn't care what it was, just that it seemed to be some old work of Ritsuko's that was stored on the Magi for some reason. It was simply proof that the super computer at least was still operational.

"Maybe if we show this to Sempai she'll come to her senses and take a look around down there. I'm sure the MAGI and other equipment down there could help figure out what she is." Maya sneered suddenly. "And if those guys are using what's left of NERV… then I hope she goes there and tears 'em a new one!"

"Little angry are we?" Toji said, curious at the sudden bloodthirsty look on her face.

"Wouldn't you be?! Just as we were getting comfortable, we had food and shelter, we felt safe for once! And those bastards come out of the blue and ruin everything…" Maya turned away from the young man, eyes narrowed and full of anger. "I was actually glad when she threw that guy off the building."

Toji didn't like this side to Maya, and stayed quiet just in case she was as upset as she sounded. A moment of silence between the two went by, accompanied only by the sound of the printer working. That is until Maya looked back to the monitor, and noticed files opening and closing on their own. She watched it for bit, not exactly sure what was happening before her eyes.

"Hey, this isn't a trace… someone is trying to see what's on this pc…." Maya's suspicions about a working NERV were just confirmed, and seeing how this wasn't her computer she allowed whoever it was to look around. A minute went by before whatever it was grew bored of sales files and tax returns, and a large red box appeared on screen.

CONNECTION TERMINATED

TRACKING LOCATION - - -

Toji suddenly bolted to Maya's side, eyes glued to the progress bar on the screen. "Uh…is it doing what I think it's doing?" The trace had started.

"Yup… MAGI is working alright, and someone is using it for something."

"So… what now?"

"Well, seeing as how in a few seconds it's going to figure out where we are…RUN!"

Maya grabbed whatever she was able to print and followed Toji as the two ran out of there like two bats out of hell.

* * *

She was heading north. She didn't exactly know why, or how, or what she would find, but she was heading north. Maybe it was because the coast had beaches, beaches had crabs. Not the tasty kinds mind you, but the kind that scream until your ears bleed and then eat your skin when you fall to the ground dazed and confused.

Ritsuko Akagi sailed across rooftops, soon finding herself testing her limits as office buildings grew taller and taller. It wasn't so much the jumping that was causing her to doubt her abilities, it was the fact she was so high. More then once she found herself having a few near misses only to be saved by grabbing a conveniently placed flagpole or antennae. She could have just stuck to the roads, but decided against it should she be spotted by someone or something prowling below.

She stopped on high-rise building to catch her breath and get her bearings, grateful for the cool breeze. She looked out at the abandoned city, not too sure what she was looking for. All the buildings were starting to look the same, and there were no open areas in sight should the place be underground. Ritsuko growled, not exactly feeling like turning around and going all the way south now.

_If I were a secret government installation bent on super computers and advanced bio weaponry, where would I be?_

The midday sun was high in the sky, and if it were not for the breeze it would surly be burning her back. Shielding sensitive eyes from the intense light, she tried to pick out anything that could point her in the direction of… anything really. She blinked, wondering if it might have been smarter to make this trip at night, where eyes designed for the dark wouldn't be exposed to the glare of direct sunlight.

She was about to give up hope and head back, when a simple sigh brought about a revelation. Exhaust, she could smell faint traces of car exhaust. She inhaled deeply as a breeze blew past, bringing her precious information from the wind. She didn't just smell exhaust, but two very distinct trails of it. One had very strong odor that almost overpowered the other, she assumed it was diesel as it reminded her of buses and trucks that used to pass by her apartment. The other was a more natural car emission smell, and actually smelled somewhat _cleaner,_ if that term was possible when speaking of exhaust. It was almost as if….

_As if it were a sports car and someone was using the superior brand gas instead of the cheap regular brand to keep the engine clean. Misato. And you're being followed._

Ritsuko took another sniff, trying to determine the direction the wind was bringing the smells, and as quickly as she could she jumped from her spot and dashed along the buildings. It was only a few blocks when she spotted the familiar bright red car stopped and abandoned outside a building. Quickly she began her descent to the streets, but stopped midway, clinging precariously to a window frame as she noticed the small-unmarked truck parked a little further up the street. Normally she would have ignored it, but this truck was out of place amongst all the small compact cars and offices. She put trust in her senses and waited, and soon she was rewarded when two men jumped from the driver's side, and made their way towards the back.

_Must be the other exhaust trail. Heh, I'm getting the hang of this nose thing._

She flattened herself against the building as best she could, and watched as the back door to the truck was raised and another man in black jumped out, tugging on a cord and trying to pull something out.

She growled silently as the forms of three large werewolf monsters were pulled along. It was strange to see them act so obedient around the men, almost like trained dogs. One of the creatures even allowed a man to scratch it under its muzzle, before it was tugged towards the building and let off its leash.

"_This doesn't look like any kind of base…" _Ritsuko thought to herself as she watched the men arm some nasty looking guns. They said something to each other before following behind the wolf-things into the building. _"Damn. Even if Misato shot me… I can't just leave her to these guys."_

This time Ritsuko had the element of surprise and was defiantly going to use it to her advantage. Gliding silently down to the ground, she stayed on all fours as she crossed the street and snuck around the truck, to the back of the building and vanished.

"_I swear Misato, I'm coming to save you but if you shoot at me again, I 'will' take you and throw you to the crabs."_

* * *

The former Operations Director of NERV quickly ducked into an empty room and swore. She wasn't expecting an encounter here of all places, and due to this she was unprepared and outgunned. Only armed with a knife and her prized Desert Eagle that she 'borrowed' from the police station. Being a rather rare gun in these times, not to mention in Japan as a whole, she prized it even if it was a bit large for her hands. It was powerful enough to deal with monster heads quite nicely, the only problem was the nine round capacity and the fact she was only carrying a few extra magazines, just in case she needed to get away from some creatures.

The problem however was not the monsters; she could deal with them easily enough. It was the three extra men carrying MP5's that worried her.

"Damn it, why here of all places!" She made a dash down the hallway in hopes of hitting the stairs and heading down to an exit. A man in black burst through the doors just as she hit the end of the hallway, opening fire on her without discretion. Misato just barely dodged, rolling to the side and into another empty office space. Bullets splintering the wood of the doorway as she righted herself, and readied her own weapon.

She waited, arms straight and eyes set at the entryway and waited.

"What's wrong little lady? My gun bigger then yours?" The deep antagonizing voice of the man echoed down the empty hallway, along with the sound of his boots drawing nearer. "Oh? Come out to face me?"

Misato didn't think she heard that right. She had not moved from her spot in the room. What was this guy going on about?

"This is the smarter way you know. If I don't get you my little puppies will, and I got to tell ya they wont be as kind as I will be." He spoke to the hallway again, and Misato nearly laughed at the term _puppies._ "What's wrong? You usually have some sort of comeback for us? Not feeling in the mood toda—"

Misato didn't blink as a shadow flashed by the doorway. There was the heavy sound of footsteps; a garbled wheeze, then man grew very silent. She stayed locked in her position for a little while longer, wondering if perhaps one of his _puppies_ had confused him for her. But the wolfweres usually were quite noisy, and right now, Misato could of heard a pin drop.

She finally stood up from her spot and approached the door. Checking her corners she ever so carefully walked out into the hallway. Save for a small bloodstain on the carpeted floor, there was nothing here. She pressed her boot into it and watched as the blood rose in the carpet like a wet sponge, it was defiantly fresh.

"What the hell…"

Footsteps from somewhere in the building broke her from her thoughts, and she bolted straight for the stairwell and headed down. She actually managed to get past a few floors before gunfire erupted from below. Not wanting to run head-on into a gunfight she quickly slammed through to the third floor only to stare down the eyeless face of a mutant wolf.

Moving purely on instinct and training, she raised her gun and opened fire before the thing could even take a step towards her. A shot to the eyes and it fell to the ground dead, and Misato wasted no time and ran as fast as she could to the other end of the hall. The dog like growls of another wolf caused her to turn around, and she saw another one enter from the stairwell and begin to run straight towards her. She raised her gun to put this one down as well, but never fired.

The shadow past by again slamming into the creature so hard it was carried to the side and torn through a window. The beast yelped as glass shattered loudly, and disappeared outside. Misato simply stared at the spot were sunlight now poured through, not sure at what she just saw.

"What the hell is going on…" She whispered, not even realizing that she was back pedaling towards the next fire exit. She nearly jumped from her skin as the roar of another wolfwere nearly shattered her eardrums as it burst through the doors behind her. She tried to turn and get her gun up, but the creature had its massive clawed hands clasped around her shoulders.

Misato screamed as she was thrown to the ground, her gun and hand pinned under her from the weight of the monster. It roared again and prepared to bring its jaws down upon the woman under its grasp.

The sound of glass shattering above them caused Misato to flinch. She then suddenly felt the weight of the beast vanish from her back. She looked up to see it further down the hall scrambling to its feet and snarling madly in her direction, but not at her. Misato smiled, finally realizing there was only one person she knew that could cause one of these things to hesitate. She craned her neck and looked up at the tiger fanged green-eyed amazon standing over her.

"Ah, hey Rits. How you been?"

* * *

A/N

BLAAARRRRRRRRRRRGH! I have more, the chapter was just getting long. So hopefully ill update again soon if time permits. FF,net seems to be messing with the format... beh!

Thank you again Commander Galos. ;)

AND THE PANTS WERE DEAD!


	10. Get along already!

Disclaimer – NGE and all its characters are copyright their respected owners, but I'd hope everyone knows that by now.

* * *

CH-10 Get along already!

"Ah, hey Rits. How you been?"

Misato said as if they had just met on the street. Ritsuko only grunted in response, green eyes fixed on the monster ahead of her. Misato let her head fall back to the carpeted floor and rested there. "Yeah well, I had it under control but y-know if you want to help by all means go ahead and kill that thing."

"Do you have any idea how god damned lucky you are?" Ritsuko said with eyes still trained on the monster that was waiting for her to make a move. "I found this place from a sigh… a _sigh!_"

"So happy for you Tiger-san." Misato said quite comfortably from the floor.

"I am _not_ a tiger!"

"Whatever you say Tiger-san. Now how about less talk more-urk!" Misato choked as she was grabbed by the back of her collar and hefted up as if she weighed nothing. She began to panic as she was held in view of the monster that had slowly begun to creep towards them, and began wondering if Akagi had finally gone off the deep end.

"Oh hey in case you don't remember, I'm not the flesh eating bad guy he—WHOA HOLD ON!" She found herself flying through the air straight at the beast screaming at the top of her lungs. She didn't slam into it as she thought she would, instead she found herself actually being caught and, oddly enough, embraced in the wolf creature's arms. The action happened so fast neither of them had a chance to let it register.

Misato opened her eyes and looked up confused, only to stare into the hairy face of the beast itself. Lupine ears perked forward as it regarded the woman, not expecting its prey to fall into its arms so suddenly yet also perplexed at what to do with her. They both stared at each other for a moment, before the creature looked back up to the one that threw her.

It would be greeted with a powerful bone-crushing fist to the face.

Misato immediately was dropped to the ground as the thing was thrown down the hall from the impact. It twitched on the floor before going still, its muzzle a bloody mess of broken bone and matted fur. The Major scrambled to her knees, just a wee bit miffed at being used as a human projectile and looked back at her former friend. "Wouldn't it have been easier to just shoot it?! I do have a gun you know!"

"Where's the fun in that?" Ritsuko snorted. "What the hell are you doing here anyway?" She asked as she walked by and checked out the stairwell. There were still two men left somewhere in the building and she was unsure whether to finish them off, or to leave them be and get Misato out of here. She preferred the latter, but the buzzing of her senses kept her on edge and unsure of what to do next.

Misato got up from the floor dusting herself off she joined Ritsuko as the larger woman peered down the stairs for danger. "I thought I saw something useful alright! I didn't know those guys were tailing me."

Ritsuko growled low as she thought through her next move. "Yeah, here's a thought. Stop driving around in the brightest red sports car in the entire damn city!" She snarled, and then turned her attention back to the building. "I took care of the dogs but there's still two guys somewhere, I can't hear them anymore though. They've either gone outside or are being very still." She put her ear to the floor and closed her eyes, hoping to at least hear some footsteps or voices. "Damn, I may as well be blind."

"Well, you came in through the freaking window," Misato turned and pointed to the broken window that Ritsuko apparently jumped through. "Why not go back out that way?" She turned back when she got no answer only to see no one there. "Rits? Hello?" She spoke to an empty hallway. "Oy…nice."

Seeing how she was on her own again, or so it seemed, Misato made her way down the stairs and got down to the lobby floor without problem, and quite happy to see the large door exits ahead. Running towards them with haste, she was blown backwards as the doors abruptly exploded open. Smoke and fire erupted everywhere, and soon the sound of bullets rang out in the hall.

Misato managed to scramble back to the stairs and hid behind the door. Waiting for the smoke to clear she chanced a look. Just as Ritsuko had said, two men stood at the entrance to the building one holding an MP5 the other some kind of grenade launcher from the looks of it. "Ah crap…"

There was another stairwell just opposite her leading down to the buildings basement. If she could just make it over there she may be able to escape through a window or an emergency exit. She took a breath, thought about her targets then made her move. She leaped through the air and fired off round after round. The man with the bigger gun fell down dead as a bullet struck him in the face, the other opened fire again as he saw her slide down into the basement. Misato rolled painfully down the stairs until she hit cold concrete, satisfied that she had not taken a hit she then took in her surroundings.

The basement was what it sounded like… a basement. All concrete walls with only a small window covered in security wire at the far end. Pipes lined the walls while boxes, big and small were scattered throughout. Sadly to her quick discovery, the only exit was the way she had just barged through. "Ah… crap!"

"Oy! You bitch I'll kill you twice for that!" The man shouted from up the stairs, sounding more like a madman then anything else. Misato got her gun and put distance between her and the door. Ducking behind various storage boxes, she hid herself well but the scattered boxes and darkened state of the room also killed her line of sight. This place was too small to make a mistake; she needed to get him on the first shot lest she be shot herself.

He slowly descended the stairs, stopping halfway to empty his clip haphazardly into the poorly lit room. "Did I get ya? Naw… You're too lucky for that huh? I'm going to have to flush you out like a dirty worthless rat!" He chuckled to himself like a school bully would do while stalking a smaller student.

Misato peered from her spot, a box was in her way to make a clear shot but she could partially see him at least. She watched as he walked forward looking for her and running his mouth.

"Oh come on, what if we talk about this huh? I know, you come out and I promise I wont shoot you." He punctuated his promise by reloading his gun and grinning ear to ear. He then opened fire again, and Misato could do nothing but watch as he wasted precious ammunition on cardboard. "Whoops, my little friend here seems anxious to meet you, why wont you come out and say hi?"

She couldn't take it anymore, this dickhead clearly wasn't any kind of soldier, he was just some moron having fun with a big gun. It was pissing her off so much that Misato's hand was clutching her gun so tightly it was surprising that she hadn't shot the floor yet. She watched and waited until the idiot used up his clip and took his sweet time reloading. It was now or never, breaking cover she aimed her sights.

Clawed hands suddenly descended from the roof, bursting through the soft tiled ceiling. The man screamed as claws dug into his face as he was lifted up. Misato could only watch as his legs dangled, thrashing furiously as he hollered in pain amongst the animal like growls. Blood soon dripped down from above and the man stopped moving, his body falling to the floor in a crumpled heap. Ritsuko following soon after, jumping down easily and hovering over him like a lioness over her fresh kill.

Misato exhaled, for a second she had doubts that something else had grabbed the guy. "God damn Rits you scared the shit out of me!" She approached Akagi and looked at her handiwork. "How'd you get up there anyway Tiger-san?"

"Stop calling me that!" Ritsuko growled, not liking the sudden nickname one bit.

"Well sorry, but that's the first thing that comes to mind when someone ambushes someone then proceeds to maul their face off! I'd be lying if I said you weren't starting to show a resemblance--"

"Enough already!" Ritsuko roared as she walked past the former Major. She was well aware of what she resembled and wasn't in the mood to be constantly reminded. "Besides, he's not dead." She said more calmly.

A huge grin crept across Misato's face, Ritsuko was delivering too much material to work with here, and she just couldn't resist the jokes. "Oh? Going to drag him home to little Toji and Maya and let your little cubs play with their food?"

Ritsuko ignored her, knowing anything she said or did would only fuel Misato's desire to tick her off. She continued past the woman and approached the doorway to the lobby. Nearly taking up the entire entrance, she turned and looked back to the major with only a stone expression.

Misato scratched the back of her head, somewhat hoping that her former friend would at least play along. "Oh come on I'm just having some fun! Do you know how refreshing it is to actually joke with another human being? Er… Tiger-human-being-thing?" Ritsuko stayed silent and unmoving from her spot, green eyes now glaring at the major eerily.

Realizing she would get no more from Akagi, Misato walked right up to the taller woman, staring her down as if she could intimidate her enough to move out the way. Ritsuko stood her ground, and blocked the only exit back out of the complex.

"You going to let me out?" Misato asked when she noticed her former friend was returning the glare, and refusing the move from her spot. "Don't make me do this…" Misato said as she placed a hand on her gun holster, warning Ritsuko of what she was not afraid to do again. Ritsuko just continue to stare her old friend down not looking the least bit bothered by the threat.

"Tell me everything." Ritsuko demanded. "Everything since you came back."

Misato rolled her eyes annoyed, and pulled the gun from its holster and once again had it pointing at the former head scientist of Nerv. "Now are you going to mo-"

She didn't even see the movement as Ritsuko easily tore the firearm from Misato's grip, removed the clip, and tossed the gun all the way to the other side of the room. Misato remained stunned for a few seconds, looking between her empty hand and to the woman blocking her exit, then back again.

"You shouldn't have done that." Misato said, her voice full of warning that still did not phase Ritsuko one bit. "Akagi. Move." Misato said in the commanding tone she would have once used during an Angel attack, Ritsuko simply stared back. "Move." She said again, this time there was finality to the word. "I said move god damn it!" She shouted and lashed out, sending a tremendous punch to the gut of her former friend.

There was a solid yet hollow thud as her fist connected on target, but that was it.

"Ooooooow!" Misato groaned as she pulled her hand back and cradled it with her other. There was no effect as her hand collided with Ritsuko's steel hard abdomen. She may as well have gone and punched the concrete wall. "What the hell!" Misato cursed as she massaged her knuckles and made sure she didn't break anything, hissing through her teeth at the pain.

"Tell me everything that you know. About those creatures, about those guys I just saved you from, everything." Ritsuko demanded, ignoring the fact that Misato was in great pain.

"Screw you! You just nearly broke my hand!"

"You're the idiot who punched me." Ritsuko replied, trying to hold back a smirk.

"Shut up just … shut up!" Misato was quickly losing her temper. She didn't like losing; she didn't like admitting she made a stupid mistake, and she _really_ did not like being called an idiot. "I'll find another way out if your going to be acting like such a bitch."

Ritsuko's eyes flashed dangerously, and Misato found herself once again being held off the ground by her collar. Every muscle in Ritsuko's arm knotted and strained as she easily hefted the other woman high, a growl rumbling deep in her chest. "No, I'm growing very tired of these games you're playing. There are people waiting for me back home that I don't like to leave unguarded. So you're going to tell me everything you know, or I'm going to walk you to the roof and drop you like a stone." Her eyes turned to deadly slits. "You're with them aren't you? Or at least you were. How else would they have known to come at me from downwind?"

"Wait… it's not what you think!" Misato didn't even bother struggling, remembering the first time Ritsuko had her in this position, and now she looked and felt even stronger then than before. "Alright." She said with a sigh, realizing perhaps her distrust for her friend was misplaced. Despite being an obvious mutant of some sort, Ritsuko had done nothing but look for answers and claim she was protecting others. Maybe she was really trying to redeem herself after all. "Ill talk just… put me down please."

Ritsuko growled before slowly setting her back down, and waited for Misato to start.

"I … _was_ actually with those guys for a little while. I didn't really know the full extent of their little group just that they were former NERV employees, JSSDF, some from Section Two, with a couple security guards or something I don't know. I was just happy to have found others alive, until…" Misato's eyes flashed with rage as she recalled what she had seen. "…until I saw a group of them gun down some innocent civilians they had found wandering the beach."

Ritsuko's expression did not change, frankly she wasn't surprised from this story save for the fact that others had come back some time before she did. "Did you ever find out why?"

"They said they were under orders, and when I asked who they looked at me like I was crazy. Said if I were worth keeping alive I would know. So, you can guess what happened next."

"You killed them?" Ritsuko had wanted so say 'you ran?' but seeing how crazy these guys seemed to be, she highly doubted it would have been that easy.

Misato sighed, even if she was a soldier she never liked the idea of taking another persons life. "One of them anyway, out of self defense really. They opened fire; I fired back as I could, then ran like hell. They didn't follow me into the city and a few days later those monsters started showing up. They stopped attacking me when I killed a few of them, not sure why. You've killed some yourself, I even saw the mess you left at the beach yet those _WolfWeres_ as I call em… are still after you."

"They're programmed to kill people that these men don't deem useful, aren't they."

"That's what I assume, but you checked out the brain chip didn't you?"

"Yeah, lists of names… lots of names... except for mine." Ritsuko said with a frown still unsure of the reason to that little fact. "Yet still I'm being attacked by monsters, not to mention those guys tried to capture me the other night. They weren't even armed, why would they do that?"

Misato looked at Ritsuko like she had a second head. "Are you kidding? Have you even looked in a mirror lately! You're fast you're huge, and you're able to completely destroy their best bio weapons they got! Who wouldn't want to capture you?"

Ritsuko realized she was acting naive. Being a scientist herself, if circumstances were different she didn't know what lengths she would have gone to, just for the opportunity to study something with her current abilities. She would have examined it inside and out, and probably would have found a way to duplicate or even improve on those abilities present. And if she were still a part of NERV at the time, who knows what those powers would have been used for, and that part in particular left Ritsuko feeling ill.

"You saying they'd just use me as a weapon?" Ritsuko's voice nearly broke with rage. There was no way in hell she would let anyone use her for anything ever again, and she in turn would never even think of using anyone else in the same manner.

"That or they think you're a rejected _WolfWere_ that got loose. Who knows?" Misato shrugged, she really didn't know what to tell her friend. She changed the subject back to the brain chips. "Did you find anything else about you? I had actually thought you had done this to yourself… but... now. You don't seem to happy with what you are."

Ritsuko growled low in her throat, sounding like the moan of a lion than anything else. "I found out I have no father, if that's even possible."

"What?"

"There was no match, just my mother and unknown gene sequences. I have a feeling dear old mum …" Ritsuko stumbled on her words, choking on the idea that someone could be so cold. "…was experimenting with me before I was even born."

"Wow that's… that's pretty messed up even for you." Misato said, she never really understood how her friend could truly hate her mother as much as she did. But now…

"Forget it. Tell me. Did you or did you not tip those guys off about me? I hadn't seen or smelled one trace of other humans until I met you then suddenly I'm attacked at my own home?" Ritsuko let out a deep growl as she took a step closer to her old friend. "Coincidence?"

Misato backed off suddenly looking ashamed. "It slipped. I was angry after that second encounter we had, I was convinced everything was your fault, that you made yourself into the monster I was seeing you as." She saw Ritsuko wince at that statement, at being called a monster. "I wasn't paying attention and didn't take the safer routes back to my hideout. They didn't look like they were going to kill me, but they wouldn't let me go unless I told them what I was doing."

"So… you told them about me?" Ritusko asked. She didn't see Misato as one to snitch on anyone even if she had a reason to spite them.

"I never said your name, I just rubbed it in their faces that there was a humanoid running around that was tougher then their dogs. They were probably already looking for you after you turned their crabs into sludge anyway."

Ritsuko looked away in thought, even so, how did they know to come to her place? Why did they seem so intent on capturing her in particular? "It could be from the brain chips, a lot of those crabdogs ran from me, I'm sure I've been stalked by … Wolf…Weres… in the dark as well."

"Listen, dwelling on this isn't going to get you out of this mess." Misato started, realizing the more they talked the more confusing the situation seemed to get. "You've obviously been targeted and the more you decide to hide the longer you're just going to drag this out, and the longer you keep Maya and Toji in danger."

"And what do you suggest I do? From what you've told me it sounds like there's a lot more of them then I can handle."

"Let me help you." Misato stared into feral emerald eyes that bore into her own the way a hunting cat would stare down its prey.

"And I should trust you, why?" Ritsuko questioned, not exactly sure this was a good idea.

"Because!"

"What?" Ritsuko raised a brow, expecting a different response. "You shot me, told me to f-off, and now you just want me to trust you because?"

"Just… because!"

Ritsuko face palmed, realizing her old friend was doing this on purpose. She considered her options and came to the conclusion she would rather have Misato as a friend rather than an unknown. "Alright." She sighed, looking back at her friend questioningly. "What now?"

"Well… The first route is to find where they are coming from." Misato started as she turned to collect her gun. "The obvious spot is good old NERV"

Ritsuko felt a chill run down her spine just from hearing the name of that place spoken aloud. Try as she might to forget her past and never think of NERV again, it seems fate was planning on drawing her back no matter what path she took.

Misato continued. "But the second you get within ten miles of NERV hq or anything related to it is crawling with Crabs and Wolves. Way too dangerous to just barge in unprepared." She reloaded her gun and placed it back at her side, feeling a bit more comfortable knowing her anti-dog deterrent was back in its spot. "You'll probably want to at least tell the others about me, so I guess we can start there and work our way…uh… where-ever."

Ritsuko eyed her for a moment. She never told Misato that they had moved to the hospital after the attack, this could be some sort of trick to find out their location. But then again, Ritsuko looked to the man on the floor and thought about what his buddies were just trying to do. They seemed pretty serious on ending her life.

Thinking this could also be an ample opportunity to get some answers, Ritsuko picked up the man and slung him over her shoulder.

"Well?" Misato asked after a moment of silence fell between them. "I could drive so you don't have to do the whole Superman thing." She said as made her way back up to the lobby, Ritsuko following close behind.

"Spider-Man." Ritsuko corrected her.

"What?"

"Toji thinks it's more like Spider-Man."

"Whatever. But honestly shouldn't that be uh, Spider-woman or something? Unless there's something you're not telli-" Misato was stopped dead in her tracks as Ritsuko's hand pulled her back. "Geeze I'm just joking! What's gotten into you?"

"Shh… listen." Ritsuko turned her head sharply as she tried to make out a sound, eyes narrowing as she concentrated. "Do you hear that?"

Misato stood perfectly still and tried to listen as well, but for the life of her could not hear a thing. "What should I be listening for I don't hear… any… thing." The slightest sound of something buffeting the wind caused her eyes to go wide.

"Get down!" Ritsuko shouted, tossing the man aside she leapt at Misato, knocking her to the ground and shielding her with her body as the wall suddenly exploded. Concrete, steel and other debris showered down on them as well as a thick cloud of dust and smoke.

With a grunt Akagi somehow managed to heft the debris off of them, groaning at the pain in her shoulders as a massive slab of building slid from her back. She looked down to see Misato unharmed as the woman tried to cough out the dust filling her lungs, and then tried to find the man she was carrying. She couldn't see anything in this dust, but from the way the lobby had now vanished into rubble, she assumed he had been crushed.

_Damn it…_

"What the hell was that? I thought you got them all!" Misato croaked out between breaths.

"Helicopter, a big one too. Come on we're getting out of here before it realizes we're still breathing." Akagi bent down and guided Misato's arms around her neck, hissing at the stinging pain as Misato's weight pressed down on her back. "Hold tight now, we're going to have to be fast."

"Wait, what are you doing?" Misato was still disoriented from the explosion, and could only hold on for dear life as Ritsuko began into a run, and then jumped. The pure acceleration left her feeling like she was on a roller coaster, and as Ritsuko made it clear of the smoke and dust all Misato saw was the building in front of them. She closed her eyes in anticipation of the collision, but instead she was jolted hard as Ritsuko kicked off the side and quickly changed direction.

"Christ…" Misato swore as buildings rushed past in a blur along with the ground getting further and further away. It was the most exhilarating and frightening experience she had ever felt. She could hear the rotors of the helicopter behind her, chancing a turn of her head Misato looked back and suddenly wished she hadn't as the large black and clearly armed aircraft chased behind them. _"That must be leftover from the __Defense Forces. Where else could it have come from?__"_

The air erupted into thunder as the enemy opened fire, the Gatling cannon tearing into buildings like they were made of cardboard. Ritsuko somehow managed to stay ahead of the line of death and escaped the gun by slipping down between two buildings. Razor sharp claws dug into brick walls as she slowed her descent down to the ground, until she landed as softly as she could, if only to be courteous to her passenger. Breathing heavily, she watched as the chopper flew overhead unable to target them for the time being.

"That was kind of fun. Lets do it again!" Misato feigned a joke despite being terrified out of her wits. She couldn't see her own hands, but they were clamped together hard enough to turn her knuckles white

"Be careful what you wish for!" Ritsuko yelled, making sure Misato still had a good grip on her then took off running out of the alleyway. Seconds later the two buildings exploded in a shower of fire dust and bricks. The blast pushed her out into the open street and dazed her long enough to lose track of which direction she was going. A quick slap on the back of the head from Misato brought her back to her senses.

"We're not going to lose it running around like a chicken without its head!" Misato all but shouted into Akagi's ear.

"Shut up… shut up… shut up!" Bouncing off a few cars Ritsuko continued to out run the weapons fire, until exploding street and rubble began to get ahead of her. It was only a matter of time before she lost her footing as the ground beneath her crumbled away.

She tripped and her heart sank. Everything moved in slow motion as the ground came up to greet her. This one small mistake was now going to cost both their lives. She flailed as she fell trying to somehow get her balance, but that only seemed to make things worse as every step came down on loose asphalt. Instinct finally took over, and as her hands came forward to brace for the fall a strange thing happened. Instead of the scraping of skin and the tumbling of bodies, she kept going. Pushing off the street with her hands, her feet somehow made contact with the ground continuing the movement until her hands came down again. Ritsuko soon found herself in a strange lope, claws digging into pavement giving her extra traction, while her legs kicked out giving her an incredible boost of speed.

She went with it, and as strange as the action may seem from an outside view it was getting the job done. The erupting ground from bullet fire began to fall behind as Ritsuko kept going, pushing herself to the limit and refusing to even glance back.

"I know where we are! Take a right we can lose them in the tunnel!" Misato screamed from behind, still holding on for dear life and being bounced around like a rider on a wild bull.

Ritsuko did not question, and simply kept moving as fast as she could. Skidding around the corner she saw the tunnel up ahead, and with the heavy sound of the helicopter following close behind, she put everything into her speed.

Misato glanced back only to see a missile trailing away from the chopper and coming down straight at them. She closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable. The projectile missed, flying overhead and exploding onto the upper entrance of the access tunnel. Misato opened her eyes just in time to see the sky above disappear, and a hundred tons of concrete fall around them.

Ritsuko skidded to a halt, claws leaving deep trails in the road. With no power the street lamps did nothing and the light soon vanished as the way they came in was quickly blocked. Misato slid from her back, relieved to have stopped moving all together but concerned that they could be trapped should the chopper destroy the other end.

"Damn Rits, I knew you were fast but… damn!" Misato groaned as she rubbed her ribs that were now terribly sore from being bounced around. "I guess I should say thanks huh? You did just save my life about… three times over there."

Misato got no response save for the sound of heavy panting. Not being able to see in the dark, she flicked on her pocket flashlight and tried to locate her friend. "Rits, you okay?" She turned in the direction of the breathing to see Ritsuko sitting against a wall, her green eyes dull and glazed over as sweat poured off her. Misato was immediately by her side, placing a hand on her shoulder only to pull it away at the intense heat coming off her friend. "Oh damn girl you're overheating."

With nothing she really could do, Misato just sat and waited hoping that Akagi wouldn't fall over and die right here. Eventually the breathing became more stable, and Ritsuko ever so slowly turned her head shakily towards Misato, blinking to force her eyes to refocus.

"I feel like crap." Ritsuko said as she leaned against the cool stonewall.

"Well that's what you get for outrunning a military grade helicopter, humans just aren't built to move that fast. You ok to move out of here though?" Misato asked, not wanting to stay down here in the dark forever.

"Yeah, just give me a minute." She used the wall to get up, thankful that her strength was returning to her and the sweating had stopped. "Where the hell did that thing come from anyway?"

"Like I said, some of those guys are most likely remnants of the JSSDF, Section Two and god knows what else. They probably went looting whatever was left over from the attack on the GeoFront." A sudden rumble in the distance took Misato from her train of thought. "Well, looks like they closed the other end to this place."

"It's a big tunnel, there's bound to be maintenance access throughout." Ritsuko wheezed.

"Well of course, but in this case I know of a specific one we should take, so come on lets get you up and going before they send down the dogs for us." Misato lent Akagi a shoulder to lean on her as they walked, not prepared for the sheer weight of the other woman. "You sure you're not turning into a polar bear?" She grunted and ignored the growl directed towards her. "Though, I will laugh if you're turning into a dog, I'll laugh long and hard."

Ritsuko stiffened at the thought before replying weakly. "Don't even joke about that!"

* * *

After a good hour or two of walking in the dark, Ritsuko and Misato finally exited the underground and back into daylight. Ritsuko looked around as she tried to get her bearings. The sights and smells were all unfamiliar and she was unsure if she had ever visited this part of Tokyo-3 in all the years she lived here.

"Where are we?" She asked when none of the buildings were recognizable.

"My humble abode, that's where." Misato replied with a grin as she pushed open the large wooden doors to a local bar. It wasn't a very flashy bar, more like a hole in the wall that would probably of had many local regulars.

"You're kidding… right?" Ritsuko looked at her friend with a raised brow. Of all the places to hide out in, of all the buildings and stores and houses only Misato would pick a bar. "Figures."

"Hey-hey, don't judge until you've seen it." Misato defended herself as she led the former doctor through the darkened establishment. The unused faux-mahogany tables and chairs were covered in a layer of dust, along with all the bottles and glasses that lined the back wall. It looked like nothing had been touched in years. "Help yourself if you're thirsty, I don't touch the stuff anymore."

That statement surprised Ritsuko greatly. She knew her friend and was finding it hard to believe Misato chose this place _not_ on the basis of what was inside. "Coming from you, rooming with you, and just knowing you… I'm going to be honest and say that sounds quite strange."

"I'll admit I've been tempted many times but frankly, it's not worth the risk." Misato said as she fished a key from a pocket and began fiddling with a large lock. "I don't think I need to explain to you that being sober could mean the difference between shooting straight, or getting your arm bitten off."

Ritsuko said nothing, understanding what Misato meant and decided not to judge her friend for her past. Being a former chain smoker herself Ritsuko was not really in a position to make fun.

Misato removed the lock on the door and pushed it open. Then, standing aside she motioned for Akagi to enter ahead of her. "Enter if you will, and be prepare to eat your own words."

Ritsuko smirked as she walked past and entered into the back room. After a quick look around she whistled in awe. "Impressive." The back room wasn't a back room at all, but more like a mansion. The owner of the bar must have made a lot of money and bought out the rest of the building, transforming it into a very comfortable and_ large_ house. Tiled floors lead to an open space that branched off into different rooms; the doors were closed so Ritsuko could only guess each had a different function.

Misato followed behind after closing and locking back the large doors they came in, grimacing at the sight of her friend's back when she turned around. "Ouch, you're bleeding Rits. You sure you didn't take a hit back when we were running?" The t-shirt was slightly torn about her shoulders and was stained with blood.

"Huh?" Ritsuko reached back and hissed as her fingers touched sensitive skin, causing a sharp stinging sensation that flowed all along her back. "Ah! Not a hit, but its scraped something fierce. Note to self, catching a falling building on your shoulders is a dumb idea."

"Unless I'm under it of course! Thanks by the way." Misato scratched at the back of her head when Akagi nodded. "Alright, I guess I should at least help get you fixed up, but first… There's someone you need to meet."

"W-what?" Ritsuko froze as Misato walked ahead of her towards a set of rooms and opened another door.

"He's the one who showed me this place, so… blame him for the location."

Ritsuko had no clue who it could be, or why Misato would be keeping him secret all this time. She doubted it would be Shinji, though deep down she hoped somewhat that it could be. Without another word she passed Misato and looked into the room.

It was a reading room, dark wood paneling carpeted floor and a faux fireplace in the corner gave it a relaxing warm feeling. There were endless books displayed on various shelves and cabinets, along with a small television and a radio sitting on a smaller desk. She gasped, there sitting in a large burgundy leather recliner was someone she was not expecting.

"Fuyutsuki…"

* * *

A/N

Rawr! I know I said this chapter would have been up 'soonish' but ... uh… I kinda got LittleBigPlanet… and then Resistance 2… and… yeah you get the idea. Some questions should get answered next chapter, so until then!

Orionpax09: ha! I thought that's what you meant, and yes I do hate when that happens. ;)

Thank you all for reviewing :3


	11. A lady and a Tiger walk into a bar

Disclaimer – NGE and all its characters are copyright their respected owners, but I'd hope everyone knows that by now.

* * *

Ch-11 - A lady and a Tiger walk into a bar... -

"Fuyutsuki…"

He turned his head at the sound of his name, hitting pause on a small disc man and removing a single ear bud. He looked up at her, examining the exceptionally large woman standing in front of him. It took a few seconds before he recognized her, a warm smile appearing on his face.

"Ah, Akagi. My word… and here I thought Katsuragi was exaggerating when she told me about you." He sounded and looked frail, and as Ritsuko drew closer she could see many cuts hiding under his clothes. He sat crookedly in the chair like he was in pain, one of his arms curled around him clearly injured.

"Sub-commander! What happened to you?" She asked as she knelt down next to the chair, her head rubbing against his good hand slightly. Fuyutsuki was just like her, used by Gendo and caught up in all the lies. The only difference was that even with everything that went on at NERV he was truly a good man at heart. Ritsuko was still unsure if she could say the same about herself.

"Oh, just an encounter with the beach locals, its no longer important. I'm more curious about you right now." His good hand stroked her hair chuckling a bit at the incredibly soft feeling under his fingers. "How curious… it feels like fur."

She ignored that revelation, not caring anymore about the changes to her body and instead turned her eyes back to Misato. "Why didn't you tell me about him? I could have tried to treat these wounds!"

Misato sighed almost as if she knew Ritsuko was going to say exactly what she just did. "Wouldn't have done any good. I found him like this, if those crabs got to him it happened long before either of us came back." Misato then turned to leave, still not used to the eerie glow of Ritsuko's eyes glaring at her. "Ill let you two talk, I'm sure you have questions for him."

Ritsuko watched her leave, and then closed her eyes. Genuinely enjoying the feeling as he stroked her hair gently. "What's… happened to the world Kozo-san?"

"Hmm. Besides the obvious instrumentality occurring I'm sad to say… I have no idea. Except, that someone has taken the opportunity to seize control."

"It is NERV isn't it… that place… that… hell on earth."

"More then likely… yes. As to who is commanding those men and those monsters, well, they have yet to make an appearance. But they are too organized to be simply men banding together randomly." Kozo said, and felt Ritsuko tense under his hand.

"Please tell me it's not _him_. Please tell me its not Gendo…" She shivered as she said his name, burying her face deeper into the side of the chair as Kozo continued to pet her gently.

"Like I said, I honestly do not know, my condition has prevented me from exploring as much as I'd like to. Though, the whole atmosphere, the creatures, those madmen chasing you, it does not seem like Rokubungi. All he wanted was to be with Yui again, he could care less about what happened the world itself and the people in it."

He looked down at her and noticed the sudden shift of emotions playing out on her face, pain and anger in her eyes. "I must ask you now, if it were to turn out to be him… what would you do?"

She stood up suddenly eyes downcast and full of rage just at the thought of Gendo. Her bottom lip trembled as she tried to form the words that were currently jumping around her mind. "I… I would..." A quiet growl escaped her throat. "I don't know."

"I see. Somehow I think it would be nothing good, that's for sure." He chuckled to himself as he looked at her standing beside him. He sighed as he took in every inch of her, admiring the way powerful muscle flowed elegantly over her tall frame. "Gendo was a fool."

She looked at him quizzically, not quite understanding what he was talking about.

"He did not deserve Yui, he did not deserve you." He looked up at her, and for a second Ritsuko could have sworn she saw a flash of anger. If so it had vanished in an instant, replaced with kind warm eyes. "You should consider yourself lucky, if I had been a younger man when we worked together, well... I probably would have flirted with you a lot more." He said in a lighthearted tone. Ritsuko could only turn away as she felt her face redden slightly.

"Do you mind?" He asked as he raised his good hand to her arm closest to him. She nodded and he let his hand trail over her forearm until fingers reached sharp black claws. He examined them closely, pricking a finger on purpose to test their sharpness. "That's incredible. But, what could have caused this?"

Ritsuko sighed. "That was something I hope you would be able to tell me. Even if I was her daughter, I hate to say it but… you probably knew my own mother better then I did."

Kozo thought to himself for a minute before looking up at her. "You believe she has done this to you?"

"She's the only one who really could have." Ritsuko shrugged.

"Makes sense I suppose." He furrowed his brow as he tried to think of anything that he could tell her. "I'm sorry I can't be of much help on the matter. If Naoko is responsible, she would have most likely done this before I met her, and in private."

"I guess, but…" She hesitated a second, unsure if it was the right time to ask this. "From when you knew her, she never mentioned anything about… my father, did she?" Ritsuko asked with a sudden hopeful look in her eyes, if he could tell her anything at all would have her feeling a lot better.

"Now that you mention it, I don't recall her ever mentioning him. She always struck me as the single mother type. Why do you ask?"

"It's nothing." She didn't feel like driving Kozo insane with that little puzzle. Ritsuko was about to change the subject when Misato returned, leaning against the doorframe casually.

"Did you tell her what you think about Shinji?" She had changed out of her police gear and was now wearing a simple red top and jeans.

"I was just about to, thank you Katsuragi." He noticed Ritsuko's interest peak on the subject of the boy. "But this is something that could be discussed over a nice meal, that is if you would join us." He invited her politely.

"I don't want to intrude, I know how hard it is to find food as it is." Ritsuko replied as she recalled the rather lousy supplies she and her charges have been surviving on.

"Oh we don't have to worry about that. Besides considering your physical stature, you look like you are not eating well. A good steak should fix that right up."

Ritsuko nearly bit her tongue, her animal side immediately latching onto that word. And just like a trained dog her mouth began to water just thinking about meat. "S-steak?"

* * *

Late afternoon, and the sun was beginning its slow descent in the sky. Ignoring the brilliant displays of colored light outside her window, Maya shifted through the folds of paper she had torn from the printer, annoyed that she was unable to make out exactly what she was looking at.

She, along with the others really had nothing else to do while Akagi was out. So, without any other ideas or death defying outings planned, they had taken the rest of the day to just chill out and wait for their guardian to return.

A bag of potato chips nearly hit her in the face as it flopped down onto the papers, violently startling the girl out of her trance.

"You looking at that again?" Toji asked as he walked into the small patients room Maya had chosen for herself. He was slightly annoyed that the older woman had taken to being on her own, and was using the printed documents as an excuse to hide her emotions. Toji knew what it was really didn't matter anyway, Maya simply wanted proof that she pulled something from the MAGI, proving that the super computer was still operational.

"I don't understand what this is, I've seen Sempai's work and this doesn't seem to relate to anything she's ever worked on. I honestly have no idea what this is." She said as she shuffled through a few more pages trying to make sense of the theories and equations printed all over.

"Maybe it's not hers. You said Akagi-san took over from her mum right? Maybe it's her mothers stuff."

Maya stiffened, feeling a bit stupid for not thinking of that sooner. But even so, she should have been at least able to link it to some sort of project old or new. She said nothing though and continued to shuffle through the pages pointlessly keeping her mind off other things.

"Maya-san… she's okay." Toji said out of the blue, but it had the effect he was expecting.

Maya dropped the papers ever so quietly. "She's never been gone this long… why hasn't she come back yet?" She said softly, her head lowered in defeat.

Toji took a cautious step further into the room not liking how blue Maya was looking. "She's probably still looking for whatever it is she went out for in the first place. I'm sure she's fine."

Maya sat up and looked out the window, her face an expression of worry and sadness at the same time. "How long has it been since those sounds stopped? And don't tell me you don't know explosions and gunfire when you hear it."

"I dunno, a few hours maybe?"

Maya tried to compose herself, but the more she thought about it the worse she felt. "Its been too long she would have come back by now." She inhaled sharply, trying not to break down. "They must have got her."

Toji was standing behind her now as she held back tears, still a little unsure of what to do or say. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to at least console her a little. "Hey, don't think like that. You've seen what Akagi-san's capable of; she fell of a building and was barely scratched! You think a couple explosions would bother her?"

He paused for a moment as he imagined it… they probably would. Shaking his head he continued. "Besides, its possible they weren't even shooting at her."

Maya sat up a bit straighter in the cot as she tried to force herself to think like Toji, but as much as she tried, it only caused her to think the worst and feel even more horrible. Finally she stood up and faced him, before suddenly wrapping her arms around him in a hug.

Toji was too shocked to say anything, only aware of Maya hugging him. "Maya-san I-I…

"I'm sorry Toji, I know I'm the adult here and I'm not really acting like one. It's just... I can't help it." She tightened her hold on him, calming down only slightly when she felt him return the hug. "It wasn't so bad when it was just monsters, but now with these men about, thinking scheming men." She let out a long drawn out sigh. "I'm scared of what will happen to us if she doesn't come back."

"Hey, what happened to the blood thirsty Ibuki who wanted to see those men dead huh? And don't forget who took care of Asuka before you even knew Akagi-san existed." Toji tried to cheer her up as best he could, patting her back reassuringly. "Give yourself more credit Maya, I'm pretty sure if you had good reason you could kick my ass any given day."

Toji felt her hold on him slacken and relief flooded through him when she pulled back a little to look him in the eyes. "Thank you Toji-kun." She said, still holding on to him in the small little room. "But it's not just Sempai that's bothering me. What if… what if we can't stop those crazy guys? What if we can't fight off those monsters?" She looked at him oddly before continuing, almost knowing what she was thinking sounded incredibly silly.

"I never liked any of those horror survival movies that Shigeru and Makoto always bragged about. But, only because whenever you see that one small meek person in the group… you _know_ that they're in for it." She looked up to make sure she hadn't lost Toji in the sudden change of subject. "You don't really have to look hard to notice it's pretty obvious that in our little group, _I'm_ that person… I can't help but feel a bit worried."

Toji had to hold back a smirk, now that he thought about it; their little group and the whole situation did seem like one of those bad horror flicks. "But, this isn't a movie Maya-san…"

"I know I know… it's just… What if all the other people don't come back and we're stuck here in this messed up place forever?"

Toji stayed silent for a second, not denying that he had thought of these things as well. "Well, then we'll just have to convince Akagi-san to steal a boat and we can all sail to a nice little warm island and live out our lives on a beach. Doesn't that sound nice? Alone on a beach with just…" He was going to say himself but he didn't really feel like being slapped at the moment. "Just your Sempai and me? Oh and we can't forget Asuka… and PenPen. Unless we eat him."

She began to giggle as she hugged him again, resting her head on his shoulder casually. "You know PenPen should really be careful around Sempai, I'm sure I've seen her eyeing him like a hungry cat."

They both laughed before another awkward silence engulfed them. A moment went by that to Toji seemed like forever, he didn't know if he should say more or just stand there, it felt like she was never going to let him go.

"H-hey… you want to see if the others are up for a game of wheelchair hockey?" He asked before the silence drove him crazy.

Maya began to shake in his arms, and Toji began to worry that he had gone and upset her again with his stupid suggestion. Thankfully he heard her begin to giggle once more, before breaking into a hearty laugh.

"Idiot." She rubbed the moisture from her eyes that had threatened to spill, and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "But I'd love to. Maybe we can get Asuka up and moving instead of staring blankly at the clouds."

Toji blushed furiously, and apparently had forgotten how to speak. "I…uh… er… I'll go find some penguin- I mean! I'll go find some chairs then!"

* * *

"Where in the nine hells did you find these?" Ritsuko asked as she sniffed around a backroom full of boxes, each containing about two hundred factory sealed preserved and ready to cook steaks of all cuts and shapes. Misato made an effort to try and keep the excited scientist behind her, but Akagi kept pushing her way forward as she sniffed at the airtight packages. "How haven't they gone bad?"

"We found them in an unmarked truck parked out back, don't know what company prepared them, but this is like alien technology." Misato said as she grabbed a couple packs, hoping to god Ritsuko would not go crazy and try to devour it along with the hand that held it. She pulled at the airtight, yet stretchy plastic showing Ritsuko the state of the meat. It was a healthy red color, and the only warning on the label was_ Do Not Freeze._

"How is this still fresh without being frozen?" Ritsuko mind went through every explanation she could think of, raising a brow at the only thing she could come up with that made any sense. "The packing looks like it could be in some sort of suspended animation." Ritsuko poked at one of the packages, her scientific mind overriding her hunger for about a second. "Interesting."

"Unless it's some kind of fake imitation meat, looks like it. All I know is that they taste good, and we haven't been poisoned yet!" Misato chuckled as she shifted through for a nice thick cut for her tiger-like friend. "So, how do you like you're steak?"

"How exactly are you going to cook this?" Ritsuko had to ask, the place was running on a few solar powered lights and battery operated things, but from what she's seen there was no electricity to really power a fridge or a stove.

"There's a big barbecue on the roof, and if we think things may come sniffing around, one of the stoves in the bar's kitchen is gas powered." Misato replied as she held a package just out of Akagi's reach. "So I ask again, how do you like your steak?"

"Uh…" Ritsuko took a little too long to answer, green eyes following the package hypnotically as Misato waved it about in the air.

Misato eyed her suspiciously before grinning. "You'd eat it right now if I opened it wouldn't you?"

Looking ashamed Ritsuko looked to the floor and let out a whine.

"Oy... I'm taking more then one for you. Last thing I want is to give you a taste for meat and not be prepared. There's a headline for ya. '_Heroine saves the world –eats best friend._'

Ritsuko grumbled. "You'd probably taste bad anyway."

* * *

They watched in awe, their own plates left untouched.

Massive top and bottom fangs scraping every last morsel from the round bone left behind from one of many massacred steaks. Huge jaw muscles bulging under the skin as they worked diligently, Kozo and Misato did not doubt if she wanted too she could crush the bone easily. Ritsuko looked up suddenly to see them staring and let the white bone fall from her mouth and back to her plate. Misato said nothing, then using two fingers pushed her plate towards the hungry doctor.

Ritsuko eyed the plate to her left for a moment, before pulling it under her. "I feel guilty."

"Don't there's plenty. I'm going to guess that stash was being shipped somewhere with the purpose being to 'feed an army' most likely the one the blew the crap out of NERV." Misato said as she watched the Doc take a huge bite from the chunk of beef, and envied the way the woman savored every bite.

"Its not that…" Ritsuko said between bites. "It's the fact that … I'm here enjoying this great food, all the while I've left the others with canned ass, and sugared death. You even had a means to cook it! Cook it really _really_ well I might add."

Misato accepted the rare compliment. "Hey, I may not be a gourmet chef yet, but Shinji did teach me a few things that come in handy on a barbecue."

At the mention of Shinji Ritsuko suddenly came out of her meat induced high and remembered that Kozo had something to say about him. She swallowed the last of her meal and licked the plate clean before looking to him. "Speaking of Shinji… what did Misato want you to tell me?"

"I believe it is Shinji who has brought us back." Kozo said simply, pushing his uneaten dinner aside and resting back in his chair at the table.

Ritsuko lowered her head, frowning as she took in his words. "You think he brought you back as well?"

"I know he did, as he did Misato, as he was doing to others as well… those he cares for at least."

Misato slammed her fist down on the table, not able to believe what the old man was saying. "But if Shinji does have this 'power' wherever he is… why bring back section two! Why bring back those murderers!"

Kozo waited for Misato to settle down. "They are the exception. I doubt he had a hand in bringing them back, its possible the same could be said about you're little friends Ritsuko currently has in her care. Maya and the boy are not like us; their will to live is powerful that I would not doubt they came back on their own accord. As with the others, it's simply unfortunate that their hearts are so easily twisted to evil."

Ritsuko sighed as Kozo explained his theory, she was still confused on one fact that's been bothering her ever since the first time she saw the _ghost of Shinji._ "I can understand Misato… but why us? Why me?"

Kozo chuckled to himself, realizing Ritsuko still believed that she did not deserve a second chance. "I hardly talked to the boy. But I supposed the times that I did he took a liking to me. I had lived my life, and had no intention of returning to this world so why he chose me… well, maybe he just wanted someone with experience to help you along." He smiled crookedly masking the pain his broken body was in. "As for you, apparently he somehow knew you would return like this, strong, powerful, able to make a difference."

Ritsuko stood up from the table growling. As much as she'd like to believe Kozo's words it was just too far fetched. "But how would he… how could he possibly know I carry some sort of mutation in my genes! How would he know I would turn into this… monster?!"

Kozo shifts his position, propping himself up on his good hand and letting his injured one rest on the wooden dinner table. "I think Shinji has become… what Seele thought they were destined to be."

Akagi shivered, the scenario fit, it fit frighteningly well. Although Gendo's ultimate mission was to simply see his wife again, the members of Seele were bent on joining the world in some sort of single sentient being. In a sense, making themselves gods. To think now, perhaps it is a young boy who both thwarted and stole their throne…

"Shinji…" she whispered, closing her eyes and hoped he could actually hear her. "You should of chose someone else…I'm no hero…"

Fuyutsuki let out a sigh. If he were right about the Ikari boy, then he would have to get Ritsuko out of this funk if she's going to be of any help to anyone. "Look at it this way Ritsuko. He's asking for your help where he cannot reach, and he's sent allies to help you." He looked at Misato and smiled.

Misato in turn looked to Ritsuko, and nodded. An unspoken understanding suddenly shared between the two. Ritsuko snarled, knowing what had to be done now. "So…where do we start?"

"Its too dangerous to storm the gates just yet, especially after that helicopter attack. We should lay low for a bit, a day at least." Misato said as she got up and began collecting the plates. "That'll give us time to think up some sort of strategy as well."

Kozo agreed with her, understanding that these men seem to be out in force right now. He looked to Ritsuko with an idea. "Why don't you bring your friends here Ritsuko, there's plenty of rooms available and its quite safe. Not to mention I would enjoy the company when Misato is out adventuring."

Ritsuko thought about it for a moment. "How did you come across this place anyway? You don't strike me as the _bar owning type._" She asked, still a little impressed at the luxury that went into the mini-mansion.

"I used to frequent this place often, and helped the original owner financially when he was first starting out." Kozo replied, a far off look in his eyes as he remembered past years. "I don't think he would mind us using this place, but if he does… well… I'll just let you answer the door should he return."

Ritsuko sneered at his joke, and wondered perhaps that sudden jab was the result of hanging around Misato too long.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to bring the others here, they would be more comfortable…" Ritsuko was hesitant, unsure if it was safe to move all of them at once. "I'll probably have to make two trips, Asuka is still dependant on a wheelchair."

"I can help with that if you're willing to take me, but lets wait until nightfall." Misato said as she returned. "I know you can see in the dark so I'll assume you're better suited for stealth right? It'll just make it easier for you to sneak me back with you. Just… no more galloping please." Misato smiled sheepishly at her friend while rubbing her still aching and bruised ribs. "Why don't you go take a rest until then, you still look a little haggard from today's excitement."

"That sounds heavenly actually…" Ritsuko sighed. Although she recovers a million times faster then normal people, her little run from death had drained her significantly. "Do me a favor though? Call the hospital and tell Maya what's happening. I've been gone too long and… well… you know how she is around me."

"Yeah, and the way you look now, I can't help but feel sorry for you." Surprisingly it was Kozo and not Katsuragi who said it.

Even so, Ritsuko turned her head towards Misato. She knew now, prolonged exposure to this woman would result in the development of a terrible sense of humor it.

"You're all horrible."

* * *

Later that day, twilight time, Misato fulfills a request from her friend who had saved her life that day. And now she sat, phone to her ear waiting for someone to pick up on the other end.

"_Hello?" _Came a small voice on the other side of the receiver, Misato could only smile.

"Hello Ibuki, do you know who this is?"

"_This... sounds like M-Misato-san!" _The excited voice on the other side exclaimed.

"Shhh don't let Toji hear you! I want it to be a surprise when we…" Misato had planned to tell the girl both she and Ritsuko would be returning shortly, and with some dinner in hand, but Misato soon found she had to hold the phone away from her ear lest she be deafened.

She couldn't see the small timid woman she once knew back at NERV anymore, all Misato was imagining was the giant rabid bulldog barking into the receiver on the other end.

"_What have you done with SEMPAI!" _Maya shouted out, along with various colorful curses and imaginative death threats. "_You're with those guys aren't you? I swear when I find you… tell me now! What have you done with SEMPAI!"_

Misato waited a second to make sure the woman had stopped screaming, not wanting to lose her hearing anytime soon. "I...uh. Fed her then let her take a nap."

"_Wait what?"_

"We met up on her little outing and I brought her back to my place, she's fine Maya. Though I can't say the same for the couch." Misato tried not to remember the terrible sounds coming from the piece of furniture as the Doc lay down on it. "Everything okay on your end? It was Rits' idea to give you a call, but she kinda' fell asleep."

"_Ah, yes were all fine here. We were just a bit worried after hearing some weird noises in the distance."_

"Oh, yeah…that was just us having a _little fun_." Misato went on to explain to Maya what happened, giving her a less then detailed and more sugarcoated story obviously. They spoke for a little while longer before they said their 'goodbyes' and 'take cares', with Misato promising to see them soon before hanging up.

She walked backed to the small room where Ritsuko lay. Just like Kozo's reading room, it was the same warm colours with soft carpeting and wood paneled walls. Everything matched and fit together flawlessly, everything except the Amazon taking up the entire couch in the corner. Her larger friend was on her back and sprawled quite comfortably across the small brown leather couch, fast asleep.

Misato took a step closer to her sleeping friend, wondering if the sound of light snores where in fact the sounds of a mutant-tiger-person purring blissfully in their sleep.

"Rits… what the hell are you?" Misato whispered to herself, as she looked her friend over. Ritsuko's face was pressed against the armrest, the position pulling her cheek back and exposing one long intimidating fang. That, paired with the clawed paw-like hand that was slung over the side had Misato wondering if it was a good idea to trust her. For the most part Ritsuko seemed to be in a good mental state, but at the rate her transformation seemed to be going, Misato wondered how long that would last.

"You better not make me shoot you Rits, the second you put any of us in danger I won't hesitate." She whispered again as she turned to let her friend sleep in peace for another hour at least.

"I won't hesitate, that's a promise."

* * *

A/N

Sorry about the wait, holidays and all.

Little bit o explanation in this chapter, nothing else besides that but had to get it out of the way. Next chapter should be more fun. :3


	12. Chimera

Disclaimer – NGE and all its characters are copyright their respected owners, but I'd hope everyone knows that by now

* * *

Ch-12 Chimera

Toji was in his glee.

He held on as tight as he could as they sailed through the night sky, his arms wrapped around the thickly muscled neck of the former head scientist of NERV as she leapt from building to building at blinding speeds. Glad no one could see him as he clung to her back, Toji couldn't help but let the occasional insane grin spread across his face as Ritsuko's powerful legs sped them across rooftops, jumping untold heights without a worry only to absorb the tremendous impacts of her landings and push them off skyward once again.

His ecstatic reunion with Misato back at the hospital all but forgotten, replaced with the surroundings as they rushed by in a blur. Even the part when he nearly bowled her over when Misato mentioned she genuinely missed his antics whenever she thought of Shinji.

His first major crush now a thing of the past, the super-strong, super-fast, super-human whisking him away to a safer local now took up that role – whether she acknowledged it or not – Toji didn't care. All that matter now was that he was near her, he was flying, and he was happy.

He had finally gotten his ride.

Carefully, he hauled himself a little higher on her shoulders trying see if he could get a look at Asuka, who was currently cradled in the Doctor's arms, and tried to see how she was enjoying the trip. He frowned; the girl's eyes were actually closed! If it was out of fear or motion sickness, or something else all together he didn't know, but he made a mental note to ask her about it later.

"How you doing back there?" Ritsuko asked as she landed down onto a long stretch of flattop buildings, creating a lull in the in the jumping.

Toji had to hold his breath for a moment, as he nearly shouted out his feelings and knew he would have sounded more like Tony the Tiger instead of Toji Suzuhara. But, instead of shouting out how great this was, how great she was, and how great everything was, something was nagging at the back of his mind since the group had split up and left the hospital for good.

"Actually… Ritsuko-san. I was wondering why I'm here right now with you." He couldn't help but wonder why Misato had seemed so adamant in taking Maya along with her instead of him. And the fact Maya herself didn't protest to be with her Sempai just seemed… odd. "Considering those two are walking, wouldn't I have been the better choice to escort Misato-san back?"

"Don't worry about it Toji, I'm sure Misato has her reasons." Ritsuko smiled to herself, knowing more then she was letting on. "Besides, Misato has been back longer then us and knows these streets better then anyone, they'll be fine."

"I know it just that Maya usually puts up a fuss when she's separated from you…"

"Don't fret Toji, it could be as simple as just wanting to talk."

* * *

The moon shone brightly, the dead quite city illuminated by its reflection. The only sound was the occasional dripping of water and the two pair of feet traversing the streets below. The temperature had dropped, significantly. The burning heat of the sun during the day had all but vanished, the cold made proof from the fog of breath made visible in the cool air as two women snaked their way across the city.

They ran quickly but cautiously through the open areas, and slowed their pace to a crawl in the tighter confines of the alleys and tunnel ways. No words were exchanged between the two, creating an uncomfortable silence as the time sped by.

Maya followed behind as best she could, breathing hard when they had to run and grateful for when they had a chance to slow. She did not dare break the silence that worked its way between them, thinking it was for the best lest they be discovered. Running shoes that were two sizes too big were making noise enough, she didn't need to be scolded for speaking up when she shouldn't.

She groaned to herself as the two of them came to the end of an alleyway that opened up into a large four-way intersection, watching as Misato peered cautiously around the buildings edge making sure the coast was clear. That could only mean they were about to run again, they had been going for well over an hour but Maya not dare complain.

She did not fear Misato would leave her behind, but there was something about Misato's unexpected appearance that put the smaller woman on edge.

Maya was happy to see her superior had returned, not quite as overjoyed as Toji, but she was glad none the less. Anyone that could lend her Sempai a hand was welcomed in her eyes, but when Misato had quietly demanded Maya to accompany her, Maya just couldn't shake off the strange feeling that surrounded the purple haired woman.

"It's clear, keep up. This is the last one before we make our way to the underground tunnels and the home stretch" Misato said and prepared to get going.

Maya on the other hand was just glad someone had spoke, along with the mention of almost being done with this trip. So she waited for the signal that Misato gave at every spot they had to run, only this time it never came.

Much to her surprise the purple haired woman darted from her spot without warning, catching Maya off guard and causing her to trip as she attempted to catch up. All she could do was watch as Misato tore across the street and disappeared into the gloom of the opposite buildings.

She wanted to cry out, wanted to tell the other woman to wait but she kept her outburst under control and simply tried to keep her feet under her. She crossed the street and followed where she thought Misato had gone, but as she turned the corner she realized the other woman was nowhere in sight. Fear suddenly fell over her as she realized she had no idea how to get where Misato had been leading her, and probably would not be able to find her way back in the dark.

Something came up from behind, a motion so fast the small woman didn't have time to even react. Maya soon found herself being thrown against the wall. She cried out as her head connected against the cold wall before hands turned her around and slammed her hard against the rough brick. Stars exploded in front her eyes from the sudden jolt and Maya wanted to scream, Misato halted that effort, pressing her forearm into Maya's throat both silencing and pinning the smaller woman in place.

"I knew it!" Maya wheezed out as she looked into the fierce eyes of the former Major. "There was just something too coincidental about you showing up just as those men did."

Misato ignored her, instead pushing her arm harder against Maya causing the smaller woman to squeak in pain. "Tell me everything, everything about Akagi!"

"Gack!" Maya choked. "What are you talking about?"

"You've been around her the most, can she be trusted? Is she in her right mind?"

Maya tried to shift under Misato, but her awkward position left her unable to move. "Why don't you go ask her yourself? You were with her all day!"

Misato eyed her for a moment, eyes softening just a tad before a huge smile crept across her face. "Sorry about that." She said as she released Maya from her hold and back away, flinging an errant strand of hair that fell across her face from the scuffle. "I just wanted to see how you would react."

Maya opened her mouth to speak but no words formed, too dumbfounded at the moment. "Wh-what?"

"You know you could have at least tried to push me away." Misato regarded Maya for a second before shaking her head. "You rely on others too much Ibuki, I know you got it in you… but… I guess that's what this is for."

Misato stepped forward and placed something hard and cold into Maya's palm. The smaller woman looked down and gasped at the small black gun she now held. She had seen it before; in fact she never used to see Misato without it on her person. It was her trusty pistol, the one she used to carry around as far back as Maya could remember. She couldn't understand why it was thrust into her hands right now in this dead street.

"You're kidding right?" Maya said as she held the firearm like it was something dirty.

"Ibuki, tell me. Is Akagi alright?" Misato suddenly looked incredibly stern in the dark, her eyes staring through the other woman with all seriousness. "She's changed from the first time I ran into her…."

'_The first time?' _Maya wondered, remembering someone screeching away in a car during the first nights they had returned, not to mention the mysterious wound on her Sempai's arm when they left the mall. '_Why keep that a secret…'_

Misato ignored the sudden hurt look in Maya's eyes and continued. "Besides the fact that she's gotten positively gigantic how is she … mentally?"

Maya looked between the gun in her hand and the purple haired woman in front of her. She got a slight chill when she began to understand what this little encounter was about, and why Misato had dragged her out here instead of Toji.

"Sempai… She's…." Maya paused searching for the proper way to form her words, still unsure if she should say anything at all. "I'm not going to lie, when she's focused on an attacker it can get pretty scary, the more she gets hurt or sees us getting hurt her eyes change. Its like Sempai is backing down and letting the animal take over… and… sometimes… it seems like she takes a little while to come out of that battle haze."

She looked up to see Misato's face had turned to a frown and panicked. "But! Its only when the bad guys are around, she's never even shown a fang towards one of us, even when we do something really stupid or annoying!" '_Like nail her in the head with a water bottle for instance.'_

Misato sighed; she had already assumed what Maya had just told her, and felt just a tad bit relieved that it wasn't as serious as she first thought. "Alright…" She looked down at the gun in Maya's hands. "You do know how to use that right?"

Maya's face cringed in disgust. She never liked weapons, especially guns, much to easy to kill someone with. She somehow avoided training and to this day doesn't understand how she managed to get the position she did. "What! I could never use one of these!"

"Don't be stupid Maya, I'm being completely serious here. I know how crazy you are towards Akagi, but I know you can tell something is wrong. I can see it in your own eyes, you've realized that everyday that goes by Rits acts a little less like herself, and a little more like-

"I know! You don't have to say it. I know…" She looks down sadly at the gun in her hands. How she just wanted to throw it away let it drop to the ground and be done with it. Instead she took in a deep breath, '_I have to stop living a fantasy.' _and let her fingers curl around grip properly, almost professionally. It was a foreign feeling, not uncomfortable, just… unwanted. "Just in case right?"

Misato noticed the sudden change in the woman's posture, noting as her back straightened and her eyes narrowed. Finally, she no longer looked like a lost pet. Misato grinned to herself, seeing how easy it was to bring out the big dog in the little Chihuahua. She nodded to her in reply. "Just in case."

* * *

With a final ridiculous leap, Ritsuko landed down onto the roof of the bar, happy to no longer have the strange cold wind stinging at her ears. '_I wonder if we're heading into fall, or if the weather is just screwed up royally.' _She thought, purposely landing a little harder then normal letting Kozo know she had returned so she wouldn't have to break down any doors.

Toji slid off her shoulders with a huff, then shouted out a loud _whoop_!

"That was so, so fun! What did you think Asuka?" He turned to look at them both as Ritsuko set the girl down.

Asuka was still weak and far from her old fiery self, but even so Toji noticed she didn't show any signs of excitement or fear… or boredom for that matter. "It was, different." She said softly, as she opened a bag she was carrying releasing PenPen onto the rooftop. She then hobbled over and held onto the doc's muscular arm for support.

"Different? That's all? We just literally flew across the entire city and all you can say was that it was DIFFERENT?" Toji fumed and was about to say more when the door to the roof access opened up, revealing a silver haired older looking man who was struggling with the door.

"Ah, Ritsuko. Glad to see your safe return." Kozo said as he finally managed to get the heavy door open. "And I see this young man enjoyed the trip." He noted how excited Toji was acting. The boy grinned almost manically, probably wondering when he'd get to experience it again. "Well, lets get all of you out of the cold and to a hot meal why don't we."

"These two will." Ritsuko said as she approached Toji and handed Asuka over to him. "The air has changed," Ritsuko raised her nose and gave a quick sniff. "The temperature is dropping and it smells like rain, I'm going to go see if I can find Misato and Maya, couldn't hurt to give them a little escort back home. You three get acquainted, I'll be back soon."

The three watched silently as the Doc turned and casually jogged to the edge of the building and leapt off as if it was the most normal thing to do. Kozo heard the boy let out a sigh as they watched her disappear from sight. He chuckled to himself as he walked closer, noting the faraway look in the young man's eyes.

"I bet that never gets old huh?" Fuyutsuki said, pulling Toji from his daydream. "You must be , I'm Kozo Fuyutsuki. I used to work with Akagi as her superior, though I dare not use that word around her now."

"Really, you haven't seen her fight… its… wow." Toji shook his hand politely as the man stepped closer.

"I've heard the tales of her strength from Misato, I thought she was exaggerating until I saw for myself how… large… she has become." Kozo let his eyes drift to Asuka, who was still looking over in the direction Akagi had left. "Hello again Asuka. I see you've had a bit of a rough time. I'm pleased to see you recovering at least."

Asuka looked to the older man, her one good eye regarded him like a lost child while the damaged one told another tale of pain and suffering. She regarded him for a moment, before something in both her eyes shifted to a softer less pained look. Almost as if she was looking through him, trying to look past his scars and the limp he carried, and thought about the words he just spoke. "Yes, Akagi's been taking care of me. She's been taking good care of all of us." And for the first time since she or anyone could remember, she smiled.

Kozo sighed to himself. "I'm glad. But come now, we can't stay up here all night. There's a nice dinner waiting for you all downstairs."

* * *

Two women in the night continued on their way to Fuyutsuki's flat, Maya quite happy that their running pace was now settled into a comfortable yet still hurried walk. _'Misato must have been pushing me earlier simply to tire me out.' _Maya thought to herself, as she kept close behind Misato, her hand slowly tracing over the pistol that was now strapped around her waist and hidden under her oversized shirt.

The Major had said it wouldn't be long now until they made it to the old highway tunnel, then it would just be a brisk walk, no more then an hour of being underground before they would be at their destination.

Maya let out a sigh of relief; she just wasn't built for long distance travel. Give her a leather chair and a computer and she was quite happily in her element.

They stopped suddenly, Maya noticing Misato's body tensing as her hand immediately went to her own sidearm. Another pair of footsteps soon rang out; bouncing off the walls making it hard to pinpoint which direction they were coming from. "Damn it!" Misato swore, more annoyed at herself that she let down her guard and allowed some nutcase to sneak up on them.

"**Don't move**!"

Both women flinched at the foreign voice, then spun around. Misato's silver weapon in her hands but unable to act as a tall blue eye man pointed a larger weapon at the two of them. Maya immediately hid behind Misato as the man pushed his MP5 forward.

Misato did what he asked and froze, seeing the sweat dripping from his face, the crazed look in the man's eyes and the way his body caused his weapon to shake. This guy was either tripping balls or just simply insane, whatever it was she knew he was on a hair-trigger, making him unpredictable and causing her not to be able to act unless she put both herself and Maya in danger.

"Hey! I said don't move!" The man yelled again when he saw the purple haired woman slowly try to raise her firearm. His crazed blue eyes turned to slits, as he looked her over, recognition showing on his scraggly face. "Wait I know you! Yeah, yeah! You're that bitch who killed—"

A blur of movement from above and the man was silenced. A sickening mixture of bones breaking and organs being crushed broke out through the darkened streets as the man's life ended. Both women stood in horror as the image of the tall blue-eyed goon that was standing in front of them was replaced by the green-eyed glow of their tiger-like friend. She descended from above out of nowhere, landing on his shoulders and snuffing out his life.

"Hi." She greeted them, almost ignoring the bloodied mess beneath her, and trying to hold back a grin from the ridiculously stupid faces the two other women still held. Maya's was somewhere between a cringe and a gag, while Misato's mouth simply hung open in surprise and disgust.

"I got back fairly quickly and thought maybe you two would like a lift." Ristuko said as she stepped off from the broken man, shaking some blood and gore from her shoes. "Yeesh I didn't think that through did I…"

Maya shook her head as she finally came out of her shock. "Sempai! Was that completely necessary?"

"No. But it worked didn't it?"

Misato sighed and put a palm to her face, while Maya simply put her hands on her hips and shook her head. "Sempai… that's disgusting."

Ritsuko merely shrugged. "Would you rather me let him shoot you?" The silence of the two gave her the answer. "Didn't think so."

Misato snapped her firearm back into place now that the danger had passed. "So, to what do we owe the pleasure of your company Rits? I thought I said I'd get us there fair and square." Misato spoke up, stepping past the squished man and getting him out of her line of sight. She bent down and removed the magazine from the sub machine gun, pocketing it.

"Yeah well your square was starting to look more like a rhombus, so I decided to step in. And now I am offering a quicker lift home. You coming or not?" Akagi said, rising to her full height, which was now a good six feet, towering over the two who now had to look up.

Even if Misato had faced off with the same ugly wolf-monsters and crabby things, not to mention face the end of the world… she couldn't help but feel a bit intimidated by the sheer mass of the woman in front of her. Never in her life would she ever admit to be the least bit afraid of her egghead friend, sure back then Rits had always been taller, but Misato was a fighter and Ritsuko simply a scientist. Now however…

Maya on the other hand didn't look intimidated at all, and ran forward immediately after the offer of a lift. "I call shotgun!" She shouted as she ran towards her mentor with the intention of grabbing her in a bear hug. Ritsuko anticipated this, and just before Maya realized it Ritsuko had grabbed the small woman and easily slung her over her shoulder.

"That depends Maya, what part of me is shotgun exactly?" Ritsuko said as she listened to Maya squealing as she was being handled like a sack of potatoes.

"Uh… the front?" Maya guessed, then felt the world tilt as Ritsuko slung her over again and shifted until Maya was being cradled in her arms, looking more like a child then a grown adult.

"Like that?"

"Uh, I guess." Maya didn't think her little joke would have been taking seriously, but she was quite happy with the safe feeling she got from her Sempai's strong arms.

Ritsuko turned her attention back to Misato, who was standing off to the side with an arched brow as she watched the exchange between the two. "You coming Katsuragi? Or would you rather walk… though I don't recommend it. We're going to get rain real soon, not to mention I can smell this guys buddies nearby." A quick sniff in the air confirmed it. "Yep, at least four more and they're heading this way."

Misato sighed. She didn't exactly enjoy the first trip she experienced from the back of her friend, but it _was_ the quickest way to travel, and this time there was no one shooting madly at them. "May as well." She said and walked behind her large friend and waited for her to kneel down before wrapping her arms around her neck. "Alright, just don't do anything crazy this time!"

"Heh, don't have to." Ritsuko said as she started into a run down the street. "No psycho chopper to worry about."

"Chopper!? As in helicopter?" Maya yelled and looked up at Ritsuko with a worried look.

"Whoops." Ritsuko had intended to keep that little bit of information from Maya for a little while at least. "Uh, hold on tight heading up!"

"Sempai wait, what about chopp—Waaah!"

Maya was silenced as her Sempai jumped into the air and curled all three of them into a flip; landing successfully on the roof of an abandoned truck then again up onto the rooftops. Ritsuko grinned to herself as she felt both of them tighten their holds on her, knowing she had dodged a bullet with Maya.

For now anyway.

* * *

Just like she had promised, Ritsuko had brought them home, much faster then they would have walking. They beat the rain by mere minutes but grateful none the less for missing out on a good soaking.

All of them gathered around in one of the larger dens, dinner had been served and now they were comfortable in their safety and simply sat and talked. The gas fire had been lit to take some of the damp chill out of the room, Kozo in a large recliner nearby while Toji and Asuka had taken their seats in front of it on some cushions on the floor. Misato sat next to Akagi on one of the larger couches, PenPen in the Major's lap.

The penguin had taken one look at his old owner when they had arrived, gave out a wark, and ran straight towards her. It was a scene right out of a classic movie, the two long separated lovers running down the beach towards each other to be finally reunited. Except this time the beach was a poorly lit hallway and one of the lovers was a fat penguin who waddled instead of ran.

Now the penguin dozed quite comfortably, letting his mistress scratch his belly while all the other humans talked around him. The little one was trying to get a say in all night, and PenPen was on the verge of warking out loud to get everyone else to shut up and let her talk. Finally she was able to speak during a break in the conversation, allowing the fat bird to drift off into a dream world of food, lady penguins and… more food.

"Sempai, while you were gone Toji and I did a little looking around ourselves. We ended up finding a working computer and I managed to pull this off." Maya handed a page from the large stack she originally had and watched as her mentor eyes quickly scanned it. "I couldn't make out what it all means, but I… we…" She glanced back to Toji for a second and smiled. "Think it belongs to your mother."

Ritsuko continued to read over the page, her brow furrowing the longer she looked at it. "This is my mothers very first drafts for the original programming of the MAGI, not many have seen it, and really with it being built there's no reason for others to see it anymore. That's probably why you couldn't figure it out… But still, this is ancient and not something that would be just lying around on a computer." She turned those feral green eyes towards her companion. "Where did you _pull this off_ from exaclty?"

"Its from the MAGI itself Sempai, with Toji's help we found a working computer station with online access. I managed to hack into the MAGI and printed the first thing I saw." Maya had hoped this would get both Ritsuko and Misato to stop and rethink their plan to storm the gates of NERV. "Don't you see Sempai the MAGI…"

"Is operational yes I see that. How it survived the attack is a mystery, but the fact that it's working…" Ritsuko lowered her head in thought, and then looked over towards Misato. "If they have access to the MAGI's wealth of information, then that could explain the monsters running about."

"Not just monsters, what about info on the Eva's? Who knows what else is waiting down in those depths now… and not knowing is our biggest concern." Misato finished Ritsuko's thought, catching on quickly to the problems that could cause. "Not to mention now those guys pretty much have total control of the entire complex through one terminal, I'm talking about automated defences and complete lockdowns of certain areas. It would be virtually impossible to break through, even for you Rits."

A silence came over the room as everyone wracked their brains trying to come up with a quick fix to their plans, and it was Toji of all of them who spoke up first.

"What about…" He paused when everyone turned their gaze to him, and was taken off guard when they actually looked like they were going to listen to his idea and take it seriously. He was used to being seen as a jock and simply a jock, never one to be hatching plans to break into a militarized complex.

Toji coughed, trying to settle his nerves and continue what he was going to say. "If Maya-san was able to hack into the MAGI, could she do it again while you guys are out there? Then she could … um… keep doors open and well… just keep the path clear for you Akagi-san."

Ritsuko thought about it for a second, let the scenario play around in her head. She smiled, then frowned, and then smiled again. "That's brilliant Toji, but there's only a few things holding that plan back."

Maya stood up and began pacing as she too thought about his idea. "A hack like that, I would have to be really close to the main connection to get around any delays while communicating between the machines. Not to mention reconnect if I should be kicked out of the system which will probably happen more then once. In short, I'd pretty much have to be _there_ with you if we want real-time help and avoid any lag."

"Well, Rits can take care of herself, if we can find a safe spot to put you down and get Toji to protect you… it could work." Misato chewed her thumb, not liking the idea of dragging the kid along, not to mention Miss_ I don't like to use guns._ "The only problem now is finding a working portable computer."

Kozo spoke up. "There's a laptop in the office next to the study room, I have no idea if it still works but go ahead and give it a try. Its not mine anyway." He looked to Maya when an important detail came to him. "I might have to give you my higher level access codes depending how deep Ritsuko is planning to go, and if they haven't been already changed in the first place. It could make the hack just that much easier."

"Ill give her mine as well. Thank you Kozo." Ritsuko said as Maya beamed delightfully from her spot.

It was settled then, and it seems the four of them would be heading out into NERV HQ after all. Ritsuko didn't like the idea of bringing along Maya and Toji, not wanting to put them that close to danger but if they were ever going to figure out what was going on and put a stop to it, this seemed to be the only way to go about doing it.

Everyone slowly began to ease back into individual conversation again as they made plans, and Ritsuko took this opportunity to sneak away and be alone with her own thoughts. She went to a nearby window and looked out at the angry clouds that hovered overhead. Rain had started, and would most likely for the rest of the night and part of the next day, that would give them the opportunity to plan a little more, but Ritsuko had other ideas.

"Sempai?"

Ritsuko turned, to see Maya standing behind her, a forlorn look on her features. "I don't like that look on your face Sempai."

Ritsuko cocked a brow at the smaller woman, wondering if she was really that easy to read. "Oh? Whatever do you mean?" She said, a feral expression slowly creeping across her eyes unintentionally.

Maya met those green eyes with her own, not letting herself feel intimidated in the least. She refused to believe that her sempai would ever hurt her. "You have that _I'm about to sneak away out into the rain while no one is looking,_ look."

Ritsuko chuckled softly and watch Maya smile when she knew she was absolutely correct. "There are a few things we could use for our little…um… trip we're planning. I want to get them before I miss my chance."

'_Your chance?'_ Maya thought, wondering if Akagi meant the man she squished, or the men they saw scrambling around him after they had left. She didn't push the subject though, and instead just watched as her friend looked back out into the dark rainy night. An awkward silence overtook them, one that Maya was afraid to break only for the reason of keeping her friend here instead of out in the rain. She knew there was no hope in the world of stopping her from leaving, so instead of arguing about the perils of going out in the cold wet night, she decided to stay quite.

"I couldn't help notice that lovely new addition to you're belt Maya." Ritsuko finally said out as she spied the small firearm hidden sloppily under Maya's shirt. Maya looked down at it, and quickly pulled the oversized shirt over the gun, feeling outright embarrassed that her Sempai saw it. This caused the corner of Ritsuko's mouth to form a slight grin. "I honestly don't think I've ever seen you handle a firearm before."

"Well, now's a good time as ever to learn. We're not all six feet tall and made of steel you know." Maya said a bit too harshly in her defence. In an attempt to cut back a bit of the tension she gave the doc a light punch in the gut only to watch her hand bounce off like a rubber ball. "Ouch."

"Relax Maya, it was my idea." The doc chuckled.

Maya's eyes suddenly ballooned as she looked to her friend completely perplexed. "You're idea? But, I don't understand…"

"I wanted Misato to give you the means to protect yourself from… a very particular type of monster should the need arise." Ritsuko saw Maya look away suddenly, understanding what she meant immediately and clearly not wanting to have this conversation right now. "And I need your promise, that you will do what you have to should that monster come out of hiding."

Maya kept her head turned, knowing if she looked into her mentor's eyes right now she would probably burst into tears. "Why didn't you give it to Toji instead?"

"Because he's a minor, and ... Do I really have to explain why it's a bad idea to give a gun to a hormone driven teenager?" Ritsuko saw a slight smile appear on Maya's face as she probably imagined Toji shooting at anything that moved, including his own foot. "But, also because you know me better than anyone here, except for maybe Misato, and I trust in your judgement that you will know when the time is right to use this."

"I could never… especially to you."

"When I'm coming at you, claws out and teeth bared, I'm sure you could. So please," Ritsuko leaned towards her and nuzzled her neck like a playful cat. "Promise me you won't let me turn into that monster, alright?"

"I promise." Maya said, her voice barely audible.

"Good. Now get back in that den with everyone else. Try to get Asuka talking, I hear she's been doing that a lot more now." Ritsuko began to push Maya back towards the warm room.

"Yeah, I think she's staring to warm up to Toji, but the dummy is too smitten with you to realize it Sempai." Maya heard the sigh from her friend, and felt strong hands suddenly tightening on her shoulders.

"He'll get over me in time. I hope."

"I don't know he's got it pretty bad." Maya giggled, her big strong friend had no way to combat the advances of a teenage boy. "At least he's cute, too bad he isn't older eh Sempai?"

"Why Maya are you wishing he were?" Ritsuko teased.

"Well from the way he looks at you I bet he's wishing _he _was."

Ritsuko let out a low rumbling growl. "Well then I'll just have to smack some sense into him… or eat him, whatever comes first." She pushed a giggling Maya back into the den with everyone else. "Now get over there before the kid eats all the snacks."

She watched as Maya took a seat next to the boy before silently stepping behind Kozo, placing a large paw-like hand gently on his shoulder and whispered into his ear.

"We need some things for this to work. I'll be back. Don't let them wait up for me."

She felt his hand suddenly cover hers. "Be careful." He said in nearly a whisper, his hand resting on hers a moment too long. Being mindful of the claws, she finally slipped away from that strange warmth and left without anyone else knowing.

* * *

She would never admit it, though she sometimes suspected they knew. The way she smiled as she moved, the glint of fangs as she effortlessly pushed herself along with strength unheard of. She started out hating it, but now loved this feeling of freedom, of power. Loved it for all the wrong reasons.

She returned to a familiar spot, huddled in the darkness, watching as a man in black poked at the remains of his former comrade. The same one she felt crushed under her weight alone. She grinned at the memory, the sensation of the bones splitting under her feet, the grotesque sound of organs rupturing. Deep down she wished the man under her were someone else, wished it was _him, _that bastard who ruined her life and the lives of everyone she's ever known. She imagined it was Gendo, his face pale and cowering in fear as she came down on him and tore him apart. She snarled at herself… when had she become so bloodthirsty?

The tall man in black turned away from the pile that used to be one of his own, his eyes straining down the dark shadow of a building. He took a step forward, wondering if he had heard something or if he was just spazzing out after seeing the street pizza that used to be his partner.

He took a long look down into the dark; he couldn't see crap-all no matter how hard he tried. "Hey guys, you let one of the dogs out down here?" he said in a low husky voice, a hand to his earpiece as he communicated to another nearby.

She couldn't hear the answer on the other end; only the curses this man spat out from his foul mouth as he took another step forward. Her eyes were closed, she didn't need to see only needed to hear the footsteps he made and the heavy breaths he took, the sound of the rain as it pelted off his gear, smell the materials of his outfit and the stale sweat on unwashed skin. She stayed her spot and waited.

"Christ I can't see shit out here. Why the hell did I have to come check it out anyway?" He cursed as he slung his weapon over his shoulder, convinced there was nothing dangerous out here. "If those assholes set another crab lose down here I'm going to…"

Green eyes opened inches from his face, the bright glow scaring him speechless as he stumbled backwards into the street. He tripped on his own feet as he went, eventually falling to the ground on his behind.

He watched from his position as she ever so slowly sauntered out from the darkness, cursing silently as she filled the description of the very thing they were told to look out for, and avoid if encountered alone. He looked her over, eyes wide as he took in the way green eyes glowed from behind rain soaked hair, and the way the droplets of water glided down every dip and curve of taut muscle.

Panicking he tried to swing his gun around, only realizing too late that he was pretty much sitting on it. She helped him up as one large hand covered his throat and hauled him off the ground. He whimpered as he was brought face to face with her, staring into the bright inhuman eyes.

His arms now free he swiftly swung his gun around and tried to point the barrel at her. He was almost successful, but all he accomplished was allowing her to grab the end of his weapon with her free hand as it came up between them. He began to shake when she smiled, revealing the long deadly fangs as she began to bend the end of the gun towards him. He closed his eyes unable to take it anymore then felt himself being tossed back to the ground.

The gun now rendered useless, he scrambled backwards as best he could, trying to put whatever distance possible between himself and this… monster. His mind cleared just enough to finally act to save his own life. He raised a hand to his earpiece preparing to speak into it.

'_Yes, that's it. Call them… call them all. I wasn't expecting to still find you all here but now I'm itching for a fight, bring some of your pets too, please. It would be ever so fun.'_

She bared her fangs at him in a low growl; the smell of fear permeating off this man drove her senses crazy. She felt her mind slipping, all sense of reason fading away only to be overcome with the anticipation of a battle.

"It's the Chimera!" The man screamed into his headpiece, his voice cracking with fear as he stared at her.

'_Chimera? That's what they call me now?'_ She thought about it as she paced in front of him patiently, the feral grin only getting wider. She was human mixed with something that was for sure, be it big-cat, dog, silverback gorilla it didn't matter. She was a crossbreed, a hybrid of some sort. '_Makes sense.'_

She continued to pace, waiting for the sound of footsteps to grow closer. The heavy padding of massive paws accompanied them. She grinned at the man on the ground, thanking him mentally for inviting the furry little weapons she just loved to destroy. A growl came from behind her, followed by the mechanical sound of guns being loaded, safeties being removed and orders being given.

The first shot rang out, and that's all it took. She moved to avoid it, the motion so fast yet so easy, she didn't even have to think as her body reacted on pure instinct. She turned to them, poised aggressively and saw her next challenge. The rest became a blur.

Time had no meaning… screams became irrelevant. Only blood, and death, and the roar of the survivor mattered.

She leered over them… human and monster, victorious. She snarled, eyes glowing brightly as she continued lurking on all fours looking for more enemies, wanting more enemies. Her heart pounded hard, the blood in her veins moving like fire, her breath ragged growls in her throat as she breathed. Blood dripped from her mouth, the copper taste only fuelling the primal instincts that were now in total control. She needed more, wanted more, craved more. To rend and tear and bite and scratch and throw, she wanted the hunt to continue, wanted the challenge to endure. The sensation of the thrill, the strain of her muscles and of the power she had over these fools, it was in her now… she lived for it.

Then something in her brain snapped back into place, and she became aware of where she was, what she was doing, and what she had done. She shook the haze away and stood up, the blood and corpses and gore surrounding her and invading her senses brought back everything human about her. She shivered.

"I'm getting worse." Ritsuko backed away against the wall as her legs, as powerful as they were, nearly gave out from under her. Placing her hands into her hair she shook her head, trying to shake away the remaining animalistic haze that had overcome her. She took in a ragged intake of breath as the pain of what she truly was, became ever so clear.

"Its takes less and less for me to lose control, yet it takes longer for me to snap out of it." She willed herself to stand on her own and walked over to the corpses she had maimed, remembering why she had come out looking for these guys in the first place. "How long until I can't come back all together..." She stooped down and claimed what she came for, removing the earpiece and pocketing it, moving to the next corpse and doing the same. "Please, for the love of god if it should come to that, don't let them hesitate to put me down."

She then went to the corpses she hadn't completely torn apart, and began to strip down the men of their gear. It wasn't what she came out here for, but considering Toji and Maya would be accompanying them tomorrow, or whenever this rain stopped, it wouldn't hurt to let them blend in just a little bit.

She folded her bundle and picked it all up, leaving the weapons. She had no use for them, and she was pretty sure Misato had a stash of her own. She raised her head to the sky and rain, shaking one last time to clear away the blood and water from her hair, and taking in deep breaths to make sure the haze was completely gone. She would never hear the end of it if she returned home like some blood-crazed berserker.

"Don't want to be shot by friends just yet." She whispered to no one, then leapt into the air and headed for home.

* * *

It was just before dawn; only the barest glimpses of faint orange could be seen on the horizon. The dark rain clouds held back whatever proper light would be flooding the sky by now with a dark violet glow. She looked down from her leap at the rooftop of her new home, seeing someone standing out in the rain waiting for her. Alarm bells went off in her mind as she landed. Something was defiantly wrong.

"What's wrong?" She asked when she spotted a rain drenched Toji on the rooftop waiting for her by the door. The look on his face made her heart sink, then he looked into her eyes and all she saw was a lost look of sadness. She dropped the gear she was holding and walked over to the boy slowly.

"Toji…what are you doing out here? What's-"

"She jumped." He said simply, his voice barely audible in the rain.

"What? Who jumped?!" Ritsuko said, her voice rising with urgency as her mind began to panic.

"I got up to get a drink and heard a door closing. Thought it was you. When I got up here she was at the edge…" He said through chattering teeth, slurring his words. "I tried to stop her, but… I'm not fast like you…and… she just…"

"Who Toji?" She placed heavy hands on his shoulders and steadied the boy, kneeling down so she was at his eye level, letting those green orbs bore into his.

"Asuka." He looked up at her, his hair slick against his head as rain ran down his face. "She said…" His voice cracked. "She said she wanted to see Shinji again."

She nearly collapsed; having guessed that's whom he meant, but hoped and prayed it wasn't for the reasons the boy was about to say.

"She said… she missed 02, that she missed being with it." The boy continued, not even noticing the tightening grip on his shoulders from the powerful hands that held them. "_Its calling to me _She said. _It's calling to me so we can all go see Shinji again, and everything will be all right. _ And… then she just… jumped." Toji took in a sharp intake of breath. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop…"

Ritsuko didn't let him say another word, wrapping her arms around him protectively. He returned the embrace, burying his face in her shoulder. She noticed that although he wasn't crying he was shaking like mad.

"Don't blame yourself Toji!" She squeezed just a bit harder. "Its not your fault, its no ones fault!" She released her hold and looked him in the eyes again. "I need your help Toji, I need you to be strong alright? You did what you could but Asuka made her own decision. Its not your fault!" She said again, punctuating every word with finality. "Be strong, for me, okay?" He nodded, his teeth clattering as he stared at her glowing eyes in the dark.

The rain-drenched boy was shivering. '_God how long has he been out here?'_ Without another thought she lifted him in her arms and carried him back inside. As she descended the steps she could hear the faint murmuring of voices she recognized as Misato and Kozo. Then she saw them.

Kozo was standing, leaning against a wall and wiping his hands with a blood soaked cloth. Maya was seated just behind him in a wooden chair, her legs crossed, with the warm water penguin tucked between her arms. He stared at his owner with a sad expression no animal should be able to make. Misato in question was kneeling down, her head lowered as her hands rested on a knee as she hovered over a sheet covered form.

Ritsuko walked slowly forward her eyes never leaving the white sheet, which she could see was stained with crimson as she drew closer. Kozo saw her as she let Toji down to stand on his own. Walking from his spot the older man placed hand on her shoulder.

"The boy is taking it the worst. He saw it happen. I'm sorry." He let his hand linger before taking his leave, knowing there was nothing for him to do here.

Ritsuko nodded, then knelt down next to her old friend. The major stole a glance, her own eyes reflecting the how they both felt.

"Not even you could have saved her Rits." Misato said solemnly. "Landed badly, cracked her head. Must have died instantly."

'_And you were just coming out of your shell … Asuka… why?' _Ritsuko let out a long breath slowly as she placed a clawed hand on the sheet covered body. "You shouldn't of let him stay out there for so long." She said, not even looking at her friend.

Misato turned her head to the boy, who was leaning against the wall for support, arms wrapped around him as he shivered in his wet clothes. "Damn, I didn't even realize he went out there."

"S'alright." The doctor replied as she gently placed her arms around the body, making sure the sheet was wrapped around the dead girl properly before picking it up. She stood and started making her way back to the roof.

Maya got up in a start, wondering what in the world her friend was doing now. "Sempai!"

"I'm going to put her to rest. All of you go get some sleep." It was more an order then a suggestion.

Misato stood up as well. "Where are you taking her?" She asked.

Ritsuko stopped, one foot resting on the second step as she prepared to leave. "Where she would want to go. I'll place her down with her Eva… or what's left of it anyway." And with that she left. Not another word from anyone would have stopped her.

* * *

A/N

I'm not dead! Just busy and time got away from me.

Next chapter - NERV


	13. NERV

Disclaimer – NGE and all its characters are copyright their respected owners, but I'd hope everyone knows that by now.

* * *

Ch-13 NERV

The bark of the tree was rough against her back. The soaking fabric of her shirt did little to soften the barks texture as she leaned against it, eyes fixed on the mound she had just finished making. The huge skeletal remains of unit 02 shading the resting place, water dripping down like tears from the tall bone structures that surrounded it.

The rain had nearly stopped, lightening to a soft mist that clung to everything. The early morning sun was slowly drifting over the fresh grave, until finally it slid over Ritsuko's still form. The warmth brought her out of her daydream, reminding her that tonight they would either get down to the bottom of things, or end up getting killed in the process.

She let out a long sigh as she took one last glance at the massive remains, her sadness for the dead girl had come and gone quicker then she would have imagined, but there was nothing she could do for the girl now. Better to think on what was ahead then on what she couldn't change. "How do I know we're doing the right thing? What if I'm only going along with this for my own selfish curiosity?" She thought as eyes fell downcast on mud caked hands.

_Are you?_

The familiar voice did not surprise her this time around. In fact, she had wondered why so much time had past since last she heard it. Slowly, she turned her head to the left where a ray of sunlight was currently peering through the trees, illuminating the ghostly form of a boy who was casually sitting next to her.

"Am I?" she replied, hoping maybe he would give her an answer instead of talking in vague riddles.

_I'm asking the question this time. _Shinji said, though his mouth formed no words, only that soft shy smile he always wore even when something was bothering him.

Another long drawn out sigh escaped her lips. "Yes… and no." Ritsuko turned her head back towards Asuka's gravesite, at the tall bones that arched over the small mound protecting it from the elements, and then she looked back to Shinji. The image of the boy continued to watch her silently, waiting for her to finish her thought.

"I'm doing this not only because I want to find out what I am, but also… I know I must do this to fix whatever has gone wrong down there. And now I know I'm not the only one." A single claw scratched at the grass as she pushed her own guilt behind her for a moment and looked at the bigger picture. "Misato is going, because she too wants to put an end to this, seeing first hand the insanity that is pouring from its depths. Maya is doing this, because she doesn't like living in a world were she is always afraid. Fuyutsuki… would go, because like me, he feels responsible for this. And Toji…"

She paused and let a chuckle escape her as she wondered what was going on in that young man's head. "Well, I wouldn't doubt he's doing this just to impress me, but… also because he knows this is something that simply has to be done." She looked back to Shinji and waited for his response.

The boy only widened his smile and said nothing, instead turning his gaze from the tiger-like woman to the remains of unit 02. Ritsuko was satisfied by that, thinking if the boy had said anything in return it would only mean she wasn't on the right track and should think on it more.

Realizing she may have just gotten one actual answer out of him, she tried for a second. "Shinji, if you are what… we think you are…" Ritsuko paused, not sure if this was the right thing to ask, but then she didn't know if she would ever get the chance again. "Why didn't you warn me about Asuka? I could have saved her, talked her out of it…"

_Asuka is with me now, she wasn't happy where she was and asked me if she could leave._

Ritsuko furrowed her brow, surly he didn't just say… "You… killed Asuka?"

_No, but you must understand Asuka never experienced instrumentality, she never got to resolve her problems with herself in the same way the rest of you had. She just didn't understand why all of you seemed to have this drive to live, and it was eating away at her. I did not kill her, I simply let her know that she had a choice and whatever one she made I would be there for her._

"I see… I think." Ritsuko looked back to her hands, flexing them slowly and watching the crusted mud flake away. She really didn't have anything else to say, and was actually amazed his image had stayed for so long. There was one last question however that she wondered about ever since Kozo had explained what he thought about the boy.

"Shinji?"

His ethereal image locked eyes with her; the same warm smile remained unchanged on his face.

"When we first talked, you said I was the only one with the power to help. How did you know I would turn into this?" She held up her large hands bringing the long deadly black claws into plain view.

The smile slowly turned to a grin before he stood up from his spot. Still looking into her eyes with a mischievous expression. _I didn't_. Was all he said before he vanished, leaving no trace anyone was there at all.

Ritsuko lowered her hands and in turn stood up, realizing the morning was getting on and should better get back before everyone woke up and began worrying. She took a few steps before turning back to the spot where Shinji last stood allowing a smirk to slowly etch across her face.

"Liar." She said, before taking off into a run and headed for home.

* * *

The trip home for once was nice and straight forward, no monsters or crazies or helicopters to run from. Maybe everything was asleep, or perhaps her last little attack on that small group of men scared them enough to go into hiding.

She forced herself to stop thinking about it and just enjoy the fact she could do a little building hopping in peace. Clearing her mind of worries, she was finally able to enjoy her ability and the freedom she felt as she soared over the streets. She now had the hang of it perfectly, able to judge distances and heights instantly as she ran on instinct alone. No more near misses and slipping off the edges like a moron while your best friend laughs at you… for now anyway.

Reaching home, and remembering she was covered in mud, Ritsuko made with some extra cloths she'd stolen from the night before, then made a quick dash to the guest bathroom.

She exited the washroom as quietly as she could, now sporting pair of pants that actually fit, while unfortunately sporting a black t-shirt that didn't. At least it wasn't as tight as her old one, but seeing as that's all she could find for the moment, she accepted the fact she was freakishly huge and was simply glad the stolen combat pants fit.

Using her cat like grace, she moved through the flat with a silence she normally reserved for stalking crazed men and mutants in the dark. Pleased all the doors to the rooms were closed and quiet, she decided to take a little time out for herself on the large couch in the living room, the only one big enough that she felt comfortable laying on without fear of breaking it.

She turned the corner of the hallway and paused at the sight of Toji, who was sitting in an armchair looking out the window at the early morning sky. She kept silent and unseen as she observed him sitting there, his face strangely unreadable for a change. He had a far away look in his eyes as he stared at nothing in particular, his arms wrapped around his knees, which were drawn in close to him.

"Toji… you alright?" She asked quietly. Of course he wasn't alright, he witnessed a friend commit suicide and is probably playing out every scenario in his head to see if there was any way he could have stopped it.

The boy turned his head quickly as her voice broke him from his daydreaming. "Ritsuko-san! I didn't hear you come in."

Ritsuko smiled and took a few more steps closer until she was standing next to the chair he was sitting in. "That _was_ the idea, I didn't expect to see you still awake… anything you want to talk about?"

Toji sighed, he knew sooner or later someone would ask that question; he just honestly didn't have anything to say about it. "I know I should but, I'm okay, really. I knew something was wrong with her… its just bugging me that she decided to leave instead of work it out."

Ritsuko opened her mouth to speak, to tell the boy what Shinji had told her, the choice he had given the girl. A sigh escaped instead, Toji didn't know about Kozo's theory nor did she ever tell him she had been seeing Shinji prior to rescuing him that day at the beach.

She had thought long and hard about what Kozo had shared with her, where Shinji had gone, had become. She could barely wrap her scientific mind around her own transformation let alone the transcendence of a child into… whatever he could be now. She didn't exactly want the job of explaining all that to Toji as well.

Instead she placed a large heavy hand on his shoulder, reassuring the boy and silently telling him she was there for him if needed. She felt the boy relax slightly, but also felt a slight shiver run through him. She looked down and acknowledged the position he was sitting in.

"Cold?" she asked.

"A little yeah. Still haven't warmed up from the rain. Though, that was a while ago…" He said, looking up at her with a forced smile.

She placed a hand feeling for heat on his forehead; glad to feel he was quite cool and hadn't caught a chill. "Well, at least you're not sick. Your body could still be in a slight state of shock."

His eyes widened looking a little worried. "Shock? But, I feel okay… I didn't hurt myself or anything. I just feel cold."

"Who's the doctor here hmm?" Ritsuko waved a clawed finger at him, and chuckled as he looked away ashamed. "Don't worry, I only mean your system may have been overloaded with adrenalin and such. I can't really do anything about it though, your body will work itself out eventually." She then turned her head to the side, thinking up something that just may cheer up the young man. "On second thought, I might be able to do something about the cold."

Without saying a thing Ritsuko wrapped her powerful arms around the boy and lifted him from the small chair. Toji didn't utter a word as he was carried in her arms to the nearby sofa, and then held on tight as she flopped the both of them down onto it. Ritsuko maneuvered until she was comfortably on her back, then released Toji on top of her as he shuffled into her side contently.

He rested his head in a comfortable spot on her shoulder while one of her huge arms wrapped around him. Her body, despite being hard as a rock was incredibly warm. He didn't care what this looked like to someone else as she hugged him close, he welcomed the body heat and almost instantly relaxed against her.

"Better?" She asked, the same way she had done the first night they had met.

"Yeah…" he said, sighing as his body soaked up the warmth. "You feel like a living heater." Eyes already feeling heavy as sleep crept up on him. They still had time before everyone else would probably get up, maybe a little sleep would do him wonders. He fought it off however, feeling a little brave and letting his free arm stretch across her, allowing his hand to rest on her abdomen. Slowly, and very carefully, he began to trace patterns on her stomach, fingers lightly tracing the lines of muscle hiding under the black shirt.

"Feeling a little bold are we?" Ritsuko purred from the soothing feeling, eyes still closed as she lay there. Toji's gesture may have been a bit too intimate than she'd normally allow, but for now she let it slide. "You keep that up and I wont be able to wake up in time for our little raid."

"Maybe that's a good thing?" He whispered softly as he continued his tracing.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to Toji. I can get Misato to watch Maya's back instead."

"No, no I'll go I'm just… worried…. about you." He stopped his tracing and let his hand rest flat against her. "Maya and I have the easy job, and I'm sure you're going to send Misato off looking for something… but you. You're going as deep as you can right?"

She sighed, giving the boy that snuggled against her a tight squeeze. "If I have to."

"Just be careful, ok? I have plans for us for the future." He said matter-of-factly, ignoring the feeling of tension that went through her as he buried his head into her shoulder.

"Oh?" She said, with a mock worry in her voice. "Plans?"

"Of course! I saw the way that old man was looking at you I have to stake my claim before I'm too late." Toji declared with a sleepy macho tone.

Ritsuko nearly burst out laughing, but somehow managed to hold it in and not wake everyone up. Finally calming down she craned her neck and kissed the top of the boy's head. "Go to sleep my little alpha male."

"Alpha male huh?" Toji yawned as exhaustion caught up with him. "I like the sound of that…"

* * *

"What the heck are you so happy about?" Maya said as she entered the room, tying to keep the oversized combat pants from falling off her person. Toji tried to hold in a laugh, but the small woman looked completely lost in the oversized gear. It was well after midday when everyone finally got up and started to get ready, Maya so far was the only one still struggling with her gear.

"Happy huh? I don't know about happy I just had a good nights… er…" Technically it was morning when he finally fell asleep but that wasn't really important. "Yeah a good nights sleep." He would not divulge in the fact he had a very firm yet very comfortable mattress, especially not to Maya lest she throw him to the mutant dogs tonight. "Well anyway, you're looking rather chipper today, considering what happened last night."

Maya shrugged as she rolled the hem of her pants so she wouldn't trip over them. "I feel bad yeah, but… I really didn't know the girl that well so…"

Toji was surprised considering Maya seemed like the emotional type, but then she probably didn't see the redhead unless she was working specifically on the Eva's for some reason. "Yeah I know what you mean. I'm actually more worried about Akagi-san really. I'm pretty sure she still thinks everything is her fault."

"Well then your _plans_ for the future better include reminding her that everything _**isn't**_ her fault, alright?" Maya grinned as she concentrated on her pants, aware of the boy's expression without even looking at him.

Toji froze like someone caught stealing. "You… overheard that?" a blush rushed to his cheeks.

"I saw you as well."

"You…" his voice caught in his throat. He looked at the smaller woman who was still fiddling with her pants, wondering if she would turn around and kill him right there on the spot. "Are… are you going to murder me now?"

"Pfft, no." She turned around and gave him a death glare. "Obviously your too young for her now…" Maya walked towards him and grabbed him by the shoulders. "But damn, I can tell already you're going to be gorgeous when you're older."

Toji looked away feeling downright embarrassed by Maya's words. "Really?"

"Yes really, so don't go screwing anything up before then, ok? And remember…" Her grip on his shoulders increased as she pulled him closer. "You do anything to hurt Sempai… and I _will_ Murder you. Got it?"

Toji cowed for a moment, then straightened up and saluted. "Yes Ma'am! By the way, where is tall dark and growly?"

* * *

"I think it's a little late to take up drinking now Rits." Misato remarked as she walked through the doors to the bar, seeing her large friend sitting over the counter nursing a glass of something or other. "Big glass you got there."

"I'm a big girl." Ritsuko replied, taking a sip of her drink. "Relax, its soda water."

"Ah, didn't think there was any left. Anyway, what's up with the… dark depressing local?" Misato motioned around the dusty bar, a few streaks of light coming in from dirty windows, and wondering why her friend would suddenly come here of all places.

"Just felt like being alone, and this spot made me feel a little nostalgic."

"Minus the jerk guys hitting on you and my drunken ramblings right?" Misato added as she took the seat next to her friend. No answer.

Misato sat down in the spot next to her, staying quiet while her friend sipped away at her tasteless drink. She tapped idly with her fingers on the bar counter hoping perhaps her friend would say absolutely anything; instead all she got was a dead silence.

Misato groaned to herself deciding it was time to break the ice. "So I saw Shinji again." She looked at Ritsuko for a reaction, a little worried when there was none.

Ritsuko put her drink down and stared at its contents. "Yeah… me too." She looked to her purple haired friend curious if the she and the boy had a somewhat similar conversation. "You think that's why we're taking Asuka's death so well?"

"Probably…" Misato replied, followed by another minute of awkward silence. This was getting aggravating, she had come looking for her friend in hopes of taking her mind off the anxiety of their trip tonight, but Ritsuko was being very stubborn and not cooperating.

"So…Doc, any sort of idea of our chances tonight?" Misato said tapping the bar with her knuckles in annoyance.

"What like… a percentage or something?" Ritsuko thought for a moment, then shrugged. "I don't know… just stick to the plan, stay behind me and don't run and gun it, we should be fine."

"We have a plan?" Misato asked surprised she heard nothing of said plan beyond the simple _going to NERV._

"You tell me you're the operations director!"

"What! You're the scientist I thought you had this all planned out!" Misato let her head fall to the counter and let out a loud moan. "We're all going to die aren't we?"

"Stop acting stupid." Ritsuko smacked her friend on the shoulder. "We don't know what's out there so, like I said, don't run and gun it."

"Well, that sounds all good but I was kind of hoping for something a little more, scientific… mathematical… just to make me feel better y'know… like old times." Misato said brows rising like a hopefully as she looked to her friend for an answer.

"If you recall it was the MAGI that did all those calculations. But even so, honestly, I haven't really been thinking like a scientist lately."

"Yeah I noticed that." Misato said dryly, smiling wickedly as she poked her friend in an overdeveloped bicep. "All that brawn drawing the blood from your brain huh?"

Ritsuko growled slightly at her friend's remark. "Actually, I just really haven't had to think that way, mostly because I'm as much in the dark as you are."

"Ah…" Misato scratched her head not knowing what else to say. Another awkward moment of silence fell over them until Ritsuko finally downed the last of her drink.

"Take care of them. Especially Toji." She said in almost a whisper, keeping her eyes forward as if there was suddenly something very interesting hiding amongst the dusty liquor bottles.

"Huh?"

"Misato, I've set my priorities. First and foremost I'm going down in there to find out what's going on with those guys, and to put a stop to it. Secondly, I'll try to search around to see if there's anything relating to my current… appearance, and if there's anyway to reverse it. And three… if there isn't…"

Misato suddenly took up an irritated stance, her voice full of anger. "You better not say what I think you're about to say!"

Ritsuko locked her green eyes with Misato's own. "I'm doing this to make sure all of you have a future worth living in. It's the least I can do for taking part in screwing it up in the first place!" She tore her gaze away and back to the glass in her hands, no longer able to look her long time friend in the eye. "I don't plan on coming back."

"How can you say something like that? You have to come back! You're a hero to everyone out in that room and that kid is friggin' in love with you! How can you just…"

"Look at me Misato!" A menacing growl rumbled throughout the bar. Ritsuko bared those long white fangs, her powerful paw-like hand crushing the glass in her palm at the same time. "Seriously, look at me… _at_ me." She let the shards of her glass fall to the bar then dug her claws deep into the dark wood to prove a point. "I don't belong in this world."

"That's because you're not even trying…" Misato kept up her stance, glaring at her friend who was currently trying to look as scary as possible. Misato looked right through it. "Shinji thinks you belong. And to me it sounds like he's the one who gave you this second chance… don't throw it back in his face."

Ritsuko frowned but said nothing. Instead she got up from her spot and let out a long drawn out cat-like moan. "Alright… I get it." She looked back to Misato, the temper behind her eyes all but gone. "Is everyone ready?"

"Yeah. May as well get this over with."

* * *

"Can you see her?" Maya said from behind a large rock, the current hiding spot for the trio as they stared out into a large almost empty field.

"No, that's a good thing right?" Toji said next to her, eyes squinting as he tried to get any sort of sign where their tiger-like friend was.

Out in front of them was a large field of overgrown grass, beyond that a small bunker like structure that, if not collapsed on the inside, would have a long passage underground and lead them to where they wanted to go.

Out closer to the bunker however was a lightly armed guard, wearing the typical black getup as all the others, pacing back and forth in the waist high grass. Misato had said he was probably just a lookout, easy enough to deal with. But Ritsuko was taking no chances, there was still daylight, and she didn't want anyone hurt from a stray bullet when she could take him out discreetly.

The man paced back and forth not paying attention to anything in particular in a bored looking pattern. Unfortunately for him, he was especially not paying attention to the trail of grass that moved on its own ever so slowly towards him. Seeming only like the grass caught in the wind, there was no indication to the danger that stalked unseen until a vicious growl echoed out. The large tiger-like form of Ritsuko suddenly leaped from the grass, pouncing on the man and disappearing back into the brush a moment later.

"Ouch…"Misato said for the man, and then she stood up now that the coast was clear. All of them walked towards the sound of the scuffle until it quieted down. Ritsuko popped up from the grass and motioned for everyone to draw near.

"You know Rits, just because they've joined this new NERV doesn't mean they're bad." Misato remarked as she took her place next to her friend. "You don't have to kill them all."

"Who said I killed him?" Ritsuko moved out of the way for the others too see. There down in the grass lay the man, unconscious and hogtied by his own pants. Maya and Toji laughed at the poor guy while Misato simply groaned.

"Alright come on, I think there's a terminal you can access here." Ritsuko Motioned for Maya to come to the bunker door "Think this is close enough?"

Maya plugged in the computer to a small outlet on the side of the concrete wall and began typing away. "This should do Sempai, I've already pulled up an old layout of the underground too."

"Good, here we may as well get these working also." Misato handed out the earpieces, which everyone quickly slipped on and tested out. "I guess you two can hunker down here. If anyone or anything else shows its ugly face you guys don't' hesitate to take off."

"And if something should happen to us, you stick with Fuyutsuki and stay hidden." Ritsuko said as she pried open the heavy doors and looked in. The tunnel was lit, which took her by surprise after living in the dark for so long. The long concrete passageway sloped downwards quite rapidly disappearing deep into the ground. " I don't know the range on these communicators so I'll try to keep Misato in contact at all times, but if I have to go deep don't freak out should we lose contact."

Maya nodded in response as she set up her terminal. "You two be careful. Especially you sempai."

"I got my lucky panther, nothing will go wrong." Ritsuko smiled, pulling out the silver necklace Maya had given her to cheer her up. The small woman's eyes lit up with delight that her sempai still wore the simple trinket. The doc let the pendant fall back under her shirt for safekeeping, gave the two staying behind a final grin, and then pulled Misato down into the passageway.

"Okay Toji, just you and me now. Keep an eye on that creep will you?" Maya said, cracking her knuckles and getting to work as she typed away like a computer geek possessed.

"Sure thing boss… but um, hey. What should I do if he _does_ happen to wake up?" Toji asked as he poked the man with the end of his bat.

Maya looked over her shoulder at the man, then the boy, Akagi had made a point not to kill him, and Maya didn't exactly want that job should it come to that nor did she want to put that obligation on Toji. "Uh… see what he has to say, then thwack him again I guess."

Toji scratched his head then shrugged, accepting the easy answer, and then decided to take a seat next to the computer tech. "They'll be okay? No… wall mounted rocket launchers down there or anything right?"

No reply.

"Right?!"

* * *

The two wasted no time as they ran down the passage. The orange fluorescent lights overhead the only illumination that played tricks on the eyes. Misato readied her gun, somehow keeping pace with Ritsuko's long strides as they sped along. This must have been an emergency exit or something since there was pretty much nothing else besides concrete and the orange emergency lighting. They were going along for a good clip before reaching the first obstacle.

"_Sempai, you're moving fast so I'll try to be quick._" Maya's voice came in loud and clear over in their communicators_. "Door ahead, I got it unlocked. I can't see if there are guards posted but it leads to a larger room. Its were we would swipe our i.d card to get entry into the facility, after that it leads to a common area –reception, caff, locker rooms and such – it's the same as the ones we usually use but being on the other side of the whole complex its mirrored. Go left ok? You should recognize where to go after that, I'll take care of any __defenses__ from this end."_

"Got it, thanks Maya." Ritsuko looked back to her friend. "Ready? I'll take care of the door. Just remember, aim low. Like you said, they can't be all bad."

Misato nodded and watched as her friend dropped to all fours and quickly accelerated. Misato didn't even bother keeping up, remembering the run from the psycho helicopter and the insane pace her friend reached even with a passenger on her back.

Ritsuko used all her speed and charged right into the door with her shoulder, the huge metal entrance exploded inwards as she slammed through. The only two men keeping watch on who goes out and who comes in were taken by surprise. Ritsuko growled, changing direction as she slid into the area and pounced on the one closest to her. She slammed his head into the floor as they both fell, and then turned to deal with the other one. Misato was already on him, firing a round into his leg causing him to drop to a knee in pain, then finished him off with a solid fist to the jaw.

Ritsuko nodded her approval. With all the monster fighting and protecting others she had forgotten that Misato was quite capable on her own. "You ever come in from this side before?" Getting a little disoriented from the way everything was opposite to what she knew.

"Oddly enough no, though I guess it would be no surprise to you if I said I used to get lost even during our last days working here huh?" The major said as she joined her friend. They both hopped over the check-in point and continued on. They came to a huge round room; a single large wood stained desk that sat in the middle took up most of it. The huge NERV logo splayed out on the wall behind it, a reminder to what this place used to be.

"Maya said go left, so… I guess we go left." Ritsuko said even though she headed towards the right side of the room. Misato looked at her like she had gone nuts waiting to see what her friend would do as she went to the elevators on the wrong side.

The lights were on, but the elevators weren't working. Curious, Ritsuko opened the doors herself and carefully looked down the shaft. "Yeeeeesh!" She pulled back and motioned for Misato to come take a look.

Misato came over, wondering what could be so interesting in an elevator shaft. She gave Ritsuko a raised brow before ducking her head through the doors. She pulled back very quickly taking hold of Ritsuko's arm as a feeling of vertigo washed over her. "Whoa! Ok yeah… we go left."

Both of them backed away very quickly from the elevator to nowhere. Inside those doors lead to a massive space of emptiness. Looking up would lead to the sky above; looking down would show only a crater that continued down through the expanse of NERV. No bottom could be seen amongst the hanging metal and concrete slabs, only a deep dark blackness. The final parting gift of the JSSDF attack.

"I have a bad feeling I'm going to be crawling down that stuff sooner or later…" Ritsuko grumbled as they went the other way to the elevator that hopefully didn't hang over a gateway to hell.

"Better you then me…" Misato admitted as she opened the elevator. This one was intact, but the elevator itself was unresponsive. Grumbling, she contacted Maya through the earpiece. "Hey, the elevators aren't working here any help?"

"_That's odd, they must only work when those guys need to get up and down then. Hold on I'll see if there's anything I can do." _About a minute passed before Maya's voice came back over the communicator._ "Sorry, they must have rigged it outside the system. Looks like you'll have to climb."_

"Great…" Ritsuko sighed, that meant she would have to carry Misato… and it was a _long_ way down. "Alright, lets get this started." Ritsuko tore her way into the elevator shaft then knelt down so Misato could hop on. She felt the familiar weight as the Major got a secure hold around her neck, prepared herself, then began the long arduous climb down.

* * *

"How they holding up so far?" Toji said idly as he sat himself down next to Maya. He had his trusty silver baseball bat in hand as he kept an eye on the unconscious man still unconscious in the grass.

"So far so good." Maya replied as she typed away. "I'm still trying to get into the security cameras, something is either locking me out or they're not working at all. I've been able to track where they are by our communicators, but its limited and I can't see what they see. At least it sounds like they've met only light resistance so far… which is kind of odd considering."

"Yeah didn't Misato say there were a ton of guys hanging around?" Toji remarked, remembering how the old major kept warning the doc to stay away should she even think of coming here alone. "And didn't Misato also say this place was crawling with…"

Toji's train of thought was cut off by the annoyingly familiar ear piercing cry of something he hoped he would never see again.

_SCREEEEEEEEEE!!!!_

"…crabs!"

* * *

The elevator doors opened, Ritsuko leaped out with a bored looking Misato on her back. The major slid off, quite happy to be able to walk on her own two feet again.

"Ugh, could that have been any longer? I never noticed how long it took when we actually rode the damn thing."

"Like you can complain, you're not the lightest thing you know." Ritsuko argued as she stood up straight cracking her spine back into place while her shoulders popped audibly. "I hope there's another way back out, I doubt going up is as fun as coming down…"

"I hope so, if we get separated somehow I'm going to be stuck down here." Misato followed her friend as they made their way through the corridors. There was one thing the two of them could agree on, and that was no matter how deep you go into NERV headquarters everything looked the same. The endless offices and computer rooms, it was starting to get annoying.

Ritsuko stopped, noticing a very obvious detail. "Something is wrong…"

Misato took a quick look around, making sure nothing was sneaking up on them. "Why do you say that?"

Ritsuko growled to herself, her body tensing up for some reason. "You're the one who told me this place was guarded like a fortress, where is everyone then? We've only run into two guards that can't be luck."

Misato raised her arms in a shrug. "I don't know afternoon nap maybe? I say don't look a gift horse in the mouth." She didn't like the glare the doc suddenly gave her. "Look maybe they just don't come to this side often, that's why the bunker above was only guarded by one man."

Ritsuko growled, she didn't like the fact there was no one around that even her own senses were betraying her. The stench of human was everywhere, making it hard to tell if someone was nearby or just a scent left behind. There was another smell, one that she was currently following just out of curiosity. It was a weird chemical smell, one that felt out of place since Ritsuko knew she was nowhere near the labs yet, but seeing as how most of this place had been reconstructed anyway…

They came to what used to be simply offices, a dozen doors with a single window looking out to the hall, used for the financial aspects of NERV and whatever paperwork. Now just a single door, all the separate windows boarded up hiding whatever was behind. Ritsuko went up to it, sniffing the air as she tried to determine what in the world that smell could be.

"I hear… something boiling… cooking. And these fumes are making my head… light." The doc said as she leaned against the door. Misato didn't like the sound of that, and swiftly pulled the doc away.

"Whoa whoa stand back! You're nose is more sensitive then mine and now you go tell me you're head feels light?" Misato then pulled her friend to the other side of the hall. "You stay here this time and clear your head. I'll do the whole Rambo routine." She then proceeded to kick down the door and was thankful when she didn't end up breaking her leg.

She rushed in, seeing only a few guys wearing smocks and doctors mask and absolutely nothing else raise their hands in surprise. They all manned different stations, ranging from bunsen burners to huge boiling vats. There was damp steam everywhere and Misato could already feel the humidity clinging to her.

The half naked men raised their hands in surrender, not wanting to get shot by this random crazy looking woman barging in on them. She kept her gun pointed as she directed them out in the hall. "No heroics, there's a nice kitten out there that wants to play with you."

Which no other choice they obeyed, walking out of the lab as ordered. "Chimera!" one of them shouted before a series of loud thuds echoed out. A moment later Ritsuko – who was a little miffed on the kitten remark walked in, covering her nose with a hand as she took in the room.

"Well I think we found out why your friend the other night seemed so spazzy. And also what could have _all _these men so loyal. Here I thought it was just all the big guns they got to play with." Ritsuko joked as she looked around what was clearly a drug lab. Every one of the men they encountered was probably hopelessly addicted somehow, and now easy to control by whomever was in charge.

Misato frowned, and then tapped her earpiece. "Maya, odd request. Get Toji to check the arms of your friend up there, tell me if it there's any marks." A moment went by that unsettled Misato for a split second. "Maya? Everything all right up there?"

Another short moment of silence before a voice over the communicators came to life. _"Ah, yeah sorry didn't hear you for a minute there. Uh... hold on."_ Maya sounded out of breath, and Misato was almost sure she heard Toji cursing like a sailor in the background.

"_Yeah, Toji says it looks like puncture marks on his inner elbow."_

"They're all addicted… they don't leave because they can't." Ritsuko thought out loud. "I think you dodged a bullet when they didn't let you join their little group Misato."

"Yeah…" Misato didn't even want to think about it. She had enough trouble with her drinking in the past; the thought of being loyal to something you hated just for an addiction sickened her. "Lets get out of here before I find a way to torch the place…"

* * *

"Do they want me to look for birthmarks as well!?" Toji barked, sounding very irritated as his trusty silver baseball bat connected with the shell of a Crabdog. The smelly ichor splashing everywhere, including the screen of the computer they were trying to protect.

"Forget about it already and just keep smashing!" Maya shouted as she used the butt of the man's rifle to bash in the head of another crab trying to take a bite out of her. "The last thing we want is for them to tell us to leave!"

The ground around them rumbled to and writhed as the little beasties came out of nowhere. They may have been fast, but Maya had seen how her Sempai had dealt with them. '_They're just dumb animals, you just have to show them who's boss.' _She kept reminding herself as she smashed another one into a pulp, then turned to one sneaking up on her and screamed as loud as she could at it. The thing backed off confused, wondering why this little meal could make such an awful sound.

"You know the pointy end of that weapon might work a little better!" Toji nearly shouted as he watched Maya use the gun backwards.

"Not yet!" She shouted back as she alternated knocking a monster senseless and looking back to her laptop.

"Why not!"

_Because I have a bad feeling this is just the beginning…_

* * *

They ended up crawling down another short elevator shaft, this one not nearly as long as the first. Ritsuko knew where she was now, the science and biolabs were just ahead and still they hadn't met any more resistance. Granted they avoided the armory, which was on the other side of the facility, it was still too coincidental that absolutely no guards would be down here.

"Hey Rits check this out." Misato pointed up to the ceiling. Hiding amongst the grey metal pipes was one thick tube, an orange glow flowing through it. "Looks like… LCL. I think I would have noticed this when we worked here."

Ritsuko frowned, claws gripping the wall as she pulled herself up to the ceiling to get a better look. "Yeah… it's LCL alright." She placed a large hand on it, feeling the vibration as the liquid flowed through. "Its not flowing towards the Eva cages…"

"When all else fails follow the yellow goop road?" Misato scratched her head as her eyes followed where the pipe lead.

Ritsuko also looked down to where the pipes flowed, then in the direction she wanted to go. "Actually, down this way will lead me closer to where the MAGI is… _was_… held." She looked to her friend, not wanting her own priorities to get in the way of the task at hand. "Mind if I check that out first? I just want to see if its still there."

Misato nodded, seeing no problem in that and also knowing the supercomputer was probably the main reason her friend agreed to this little outing in the first place. "No problem, we _are_ down here for you as well."

They walked for another good clip, passing by Ritsuko's old office in the process. It took everything in her power from walking in there. She took a glance at Misato and noticed her grinning as the Major read her mind. Ritsuko knew there was nothing really useful in there, maybe if they can retake NERV completely she might have use for her lab, but her office held nothing, just nostalgia.

What seemed like no apparent reason the doc suddenly paused, ears twitching from the faint intrusion of new sounds. Every muscle in her body tensing considerably as her mind buzzed with warning, listening for whatever it was that set her off. A growl escaped her lips as green eyes darted around the hallway. Misato watched her body language intently and brought her gun up, this could mean nothing but trouble

Footprints and grinding metal rang out as soldiers suddenly appeared ahead, bringing with them riot shields to hide behind. The grinding metallic noise was the a small section of the wall sliding back as two automated sentry turrets appeared, extending from their once sleeping spots to lock onto the 'chimera' as she scrambled to get the other target to safety.

Like lightning Ritsuko grabbed Misato by the collar, yanking her out of the immediate line of fire. Seeing nowhere to hide, and not enough time to run back around the corner she did the only thing she could think of. Powerful hands slammed into the wall next to her, fingers prying away a large section of metal paneling, praying it was thick enough as she held it out in front of her as a makeshift shield.

"Stay down!" The doc bellowed. A few shots passed by too close, grazing her arms and legs painfully. She ignored the stinging pain and concentrated on keeping the two of them alive.

"Hell! Maya can you do something about those guns?!" Misato shouted as she hid behind her large friend, the sound of bullets bouncing off metal was so loud she could barely hear herself speak.

_"I'm way ahead of you, I think someone knows I'm in here but ... yes got one down! Give me a sec to get the other one!"_

Misato chanced a glance around her current protector and saw that one of the turrets had indeed stopped firing. The other was still blasting away however, making it impossible for her to get a shot in or move to more strategic spot. "C'mon Maya what's the hold up!"

"_I'm sorry they're trying really hard to lock me—"_ Only the crackling sound of static followed.

* * *

"What? No!" Maya shouted amongst the cries of dying crabdogs. The command she had been typing into the computer suddenly cut off as something overrode her system. "Sempai? Misato-san? Please come in!" Even their communicators were being jammed now. "Damn it!" Maya hit her fist against the laptop only causing it to blue screen and reboot. "Toji I've been kicked out, what do we do now?"

"Get up top…" Came a sleepy voice next to her. The tied up man finally woke and was now looking to the small woman wearily. "They wont attack me, but you guys get out of their reach and you should be safe, these things can't climb."

Maya stared at the man, not understanding why he was sounding so helpful. "I don't trust you in the least, why should I now?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't know others had come back, I'm just here because they kept me fed…" He said as he tried to alleviate some of the pain in his tied up limbs. "You don't have to do anything for me, but if you get up there you should be safe for now."

Maya looked up at the small square structure, it was completely made of concrete. She recalled when she first encountered these crab things, or more importantly how they could barely stand when she managed to get off the soft sand and onto the hard rocks. She looked to the bunker, then to Toji who was making a valiant effort in keeping the crabs at bay, but more and more were showing up, it would only be a matter of time before he was overrun.

"Can't you call them off?" She asked him, still wary of this sudden turn of events.

"I don't have that authority." He said, and for a moment almost sounded disheartened. "They only know not to attack me so go before there's too many to run away from."

She eyed him for a brief second then shook her head and called for the boy. "Toji! Come help me get up here!" She grabbed her computer and as gently as she could, tossed it up top, then shouldered the man's weapon as Toji ran over.

"What's going on?" He asked out of breath, covered in guts and goo and somehow ignoring the sickly sweet stench of crab-blood that soaked him head to toe.

"We're going up, here you first." She cradled her hands as he used them as a step, and then climbed up. Toji then lent a hand and pulled her up behind him. Maya looked back down to the man and wondered if maybe she should have untied him, at least for his good advice. "Sorry! I still don't trust any of you. Thank you for the suggestion though!" She shouted down towards him as he squirmed in the grass.

"_He_ told you to get up here?" Toji wondered as he watched the crabdogs flailing on the concrete but unable to do anything but screech and whine in frustration as their meaty dinners got out of reach. "Nice. Now what?"

"We sit tight, and hope Sempai finishes what's she doing real soon." Maya said as she loaded the rifle and placed it safely next to her. She grabbed her computer and, after a bit of cleaning, tried to reconnect to the system. "And pray crabs are the only things we have to worry about."

As if on cue, a long and mournful howl called out amongst the screeching. Maya let her head drop feeling the deathly glare she was getting from Toji.

"You _had_ to go and jinx it didn't you!"

* * *

"Shit! Rits I think Maya just got booted!"Misato swore as she hid behind her large friend, grateful for every bullet bouncing off the metal plate Ritsuko was currently shielding them with. Misato looked up as tiny spatters of blood kept hitting her, realizing that her friend was suddenly bleeding due to the fact the doc was protecting Misato first and foremost, leaving her broad shoulders and arms exposed. "Damn…" She couldn't understand how her friend could ignore bullets burning through her flesh.

"Misato this is too dangerous! I can't keep this up for long!" Ritsuko yelled as she held up her sheet of metal that was quickly beginning to fail. The poor metal pane was now dimpled and quickly deteriorating as the hail of weapons fire continued endlessly. "I can probably get past myself, but there's no way I can get you across safely as well, I won't risk it. You backtrack and see if you can't find anything else the other way!"

"Any deeper and we'll lose contact with each other as well, we should stick together!"

"Without Maya's help its impossible to get both of us over there. I can hold them off, you just get out of here!" Ritsuko saw the look in her friend's eyes and knew she would have to plead to get the stubborn woman moving. "Please, I don't want to see you hurt! Follow the trail of LCL it must lead somewhere!"

Misato looked up to her friend, not wanting to leave her to these defenses on her own yet seeing her point. Rits was fast enough to get through this deathtrap, but normal slow-human Misato would just get turned into a bloody bullet ridden corpse. "Alright!" She agreed reluctantly. "But you promise me you'll come back!"

Ritsuko nodded. "Alright!"

"Even if you find no answers! No cure! Promise!"

"I get it! I won't off myself I promise now just go!" Ritsuko began to growl, wondering what it would take to get Misato out of here.

Finally satisfied, Misato then gave her friend a solid pat on the shoulder and started making her way carefully back the way they came.

Ritsuko took one final look back to make sure Misato was gone, then growled as she ever so carefully looked over her makeshift shield. Her attackers were hunkered down good, able to conserve ammunition while the automated sentry did its work. With that single turret going off she didn't have many options, so she went with the easiest one. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath, shutting down all sense of reason and gave in to her instincts. Good guys or not, her life - and the future of everyone she cared for was at stake. When it comes down to it, self-preservation will be the first impulse that kicks in.

Green eyes snapped open, and with a vicious growl she hurled her makeshift shield right into the group of men. Some ducked and dodged while the ones in its direct path weren't so lucky. It disrupted them that they stopped shooting just long enough for Ritsuko to charge right into them.

Coming in on all fours, she was fast enough and low enough to out maneuver the turrets line of fire and to leap into the group of dazed men. Claws slashed wildly as they dug into flesh and steel alike. Someone cried out as razor sharp talons raked his face, blinding him. While another dropped his weapon clutching at his throat in a futile attempt to keep his lifeblood from spilling out.

One managed to get a shot off, catching her in the shoulder. That only redirected the growls in his direction as she turned around, the next thing he knew she was flying though the air. Every bone in his chest shattered as she used him for a springboard, changing direction with her momentum and grabbing on to the turret that was still firing despite allies being in close rage. It took all her strength to wrench it in the direction she wanted, spraying a hail of fire down on her attackers. One by one they fell as the their own sentry ripped them apart, until finally there was no one left to shoot. Satisfied, Ritsuko then gave out one last roar as she wrapped her arms around the emplacement, and ripped the sentry from the wall.

Both of them crashed to the ground, and she remained there for a moment as she caught her breath, pulling her mind back from her animal side.

"Now… to see just what they were guarding." She said as she got up and checked her wounds. Luckily her shoulder was only grazed adding to another of the near misses that graced her arms and legs. It was the sharp pain from a wound in her side that grabbed her attention. Everything had become so hectic she didn't even know when it happened and was quite relieved she was only hit once. But this hurt, a lot, and now hoped it didn't hit anything vital.

"_You don't set up __defenses__ like that for nothing, there has to be something up ahead." _She thought to herself, still wondering why this was the only place she had encounter heavy guards. _"Unless Misato was mistaken, maybe there aren't as many being controlled as we first thought."_ No, that would be much too easy. "_Or something knows I'm coming… and I'm being led here."_

Forcing herself to ignore the pain she was in, Ritsuko carefully stepped over the corpses and continued on. As she walked, she found she no longer recognized the area. The hallway was different; the paths that would take you to the main section within the GeoFront were no longer here. Instead, after a few good minutes of walking she eventually found another door, one she had never seen before, one that was very large and very fortified.

"Looks like I was right in coming this way." She said, placing a hand on the door and pushing gently. To her amazement it was unlocked, but she still took every precaution as she gently swung it open a crack. The air that escaped was different, clean and sterile along with the smell of working electronics. The coppery taste of gunpowder or the distinct smell of human was not evident, so she pushed the doors open further and entered inside.

It was a terminal of some sort, and a huge one at that. High ceilings having to be at least thirty feet tall while the expanse of the room slowly faded into darkness. Not even with her enhanced vision could she see what was down in the back, but right now she didn't care, something else caught her attention.

Dead centre of the room was a huge unit she recognized immediately. Having worked inside and out of it she didn't doubt this was the unit that housed the components making up the MAGI super computer. Why was it here? Who moved it? Her mind raced with question after question and for once ignored her scientific side as she marched right towards it. Ritsuko kept her senses alert, smelling and searching for any alarms or traps that may be protecting the one thing that could hold all the answers everyone was looking for. Finding none, she placed her hand on the massive machine… something was wrong.

"Its… cold."

She knew from experience this machine used up enormous amounts of energy, and in turn needed a very sophisticated cooling system. Ritsuko herself had even started drawing up the thought of passing LCL from one section of NERV to another as one means of liquid cooling. The cold feel to the metal left Ritsuko confused, if the MAGI were indeed working as Maya had said… this thing should be warm to the touch.

"This isn't it… its… a fake?"

The lights dimmed, Ritsuko took up a defensive stance as she looked around. Enhanced vision quickly adjusting to the gathering darkness, she saw nothing had changed in the room save for the light. Eyes darting every which way, nothing was setting off her senses yet her human side couldn't shake off an eerie feeling that ran down her spine.

_"It was hard to play any sort of joke on you Ritsuko, even as a child you always could figure out when the tiniest detail was off."_

She froze, she knew that voice, and she knew the face that went along with that voice. It haunted her dreams, it haunted her waking hours, and it haunted her whenever she looked into a damned mirror! Ritsuko turned around in the darkening room, even her enhanced vision barely able to see in the pitch darkness as the light completely faded. Then, a bright glow, and a figure suddenly appeared in front of her.

"My my… how you've grown." The figure in the light spoke, standing there with a simple smile that chilled Ritsuko to the bone.

Ritsuko's jaw dropped, this was impossible. It was downright absolutely impossible to be seeing this person standing here and now… alive, right in front of her. She was so completly shocked her brain couldn't fathom this, her reason for being in this room completely forgotten, Ritsuko simply whispered a single word.

"Mother…"

* * *

A/N : I don't have any clue as to the layout of NERV so bare with me as I make it up… poorly. Also, sorry if this seems a little rushed. I wanted to get this done before I take off for a little while.

OrionPax09: Like a werewolf bite huh? That sounds like fun but I think I have enough mutants running around right now. hehe.

Thanks for the reviews!


	14. Mother Dearest

Disclaimer – NGE and all its characters are copyright their respected owners, but I'd hope everyone knows that by now.

* * *

Ch 14 – mother dearest

"Mother… this can't be… "

Ritsuko's tongue failed to work as she tried to form words, she could only stare at the form of her mother, the very being she despised just as much as Gendo Ikari, if not more.

"Hello daughter, it's been some time hasn't it?" The figure standing in the light did not move it simply stood there staring right back, dressed in the same outfit and lab coat she would always wear when working at NERV.

Ritsuko still shocked, recovered somewhat and stood straighter. Green eyes locked with the ones in front of her, staring her mother down as her brain tried to make sense of what her eyes were seeing. "This is wrong. You can't be real I watched you die!"

"Yes… yes you did." The figure of Naoko Akagi merely gazed smugly at her daughter, as if waiting for something.

Finally recovering the use of her senses, Ritsuko smelled the air trying to find any trace of information. Her eyes narrowed at her mother, there was no scent in here other than the sterile smell of machines, there was nothing telling her that there was another human being in this room. She cocked her head to the side as she regarded the figure in front of her; eyes following were the light was coming from.

"You're a… hologram?" Ritsuko hesitated at first, and then cautiously took a step forward, then another, and then walked right through the figure her senses were telling her wasn't really there. "So… you're really not alive?"

Naoko turned to face her daughter once more, a small chuckle escaping her lips at Ritsuko's discovery. "Technically no, but my mind still thrives. Always has been. I've just been a little…" She thought of the proper way to say it "Disjointed." Naoko's face formed a wicked smiled as the three balls of light illuminated on the wall behind her.

Ritsuko could only look on in awe at what she saw, and understood now what the image of her mother had meant. On the wall were three spherical shapes, similar to the ones that made up the three MAGI brains of the supercomputer only these were much larger..

They were all there, the names listing each illuminated in a neon glow. Melchior, Balthasar and Casper - each representing a different piece of Naoko Akagi's personality. It all came together now, so simple yet also so out of this world that even Ritsuko did not once think this scenario possible.

She backed away, her eyes darting from the image of her mother and the giant MAGI's in front of her. "You… had this all planned didn't you... always?"

The grin widened. "Would it surprise you if I said yes? I'm actually baffled that the possibility never crossed your mind." The figure walked closer to Ritsuko, letting a hand made purely of light run down her daughter's powerful form. "While the three Magi were in conflict my personality allowed the programming to act as planned. Find the best solution to any problem, argue over it for a little while… and then act on it. But…"

"You knew… you knew Gendo was insane! You knew what would happen to the world!" Ritsuko said as she tried her hardest to ignore the image of her mother as it examined her. She could not feel as the hands ran over every muscle, but the sight of it alone was enough to make her skin crawl.

"Yes, I planted a program so deep within not even you would have found it. When the world ended and the MAGI as three separate identities were no longer needed, I simply brought them all back together. Scientist, Mother, Woman. Put them all together add in a few more strings of code and I was reborn."

"But… why?"

The eerie grin returned as a slight laugh echoed through the darkened room. "Is that truly what you wish to know? Is that really the only question on your mind now that we have this chance to be face to face once more, my daughter?"

Ritsuko suddenly pulled away from the thing that looked like Naoko Akagi. Growling deeply as this image looked right through her, knowing what buttons to push as if it were her real mother in the flesh. "What… am I?" She whispered, almost afraid of the answer that was to come.

Naoko Akagi paced around her daughter before stopping once more in front of her. The representation of NERV's or rather Gehrin's original head scientist was accurate down to the last detail. From frown lines to small scars and even height, and now Naoko found herself having to look up just to meet her daughter's eyes.

"You are something I never thought would turn out so great…" A near transparent hand caressed Ritsuko's face, tracing over jaw muscles as they clenched involuntarily.

"Stop playing games." Ritsuko growled, baring fangs and swiping at the hologram. Her hand passed through harmlessly as Naoko only grinned on amused.

"Ah, at least I see you have my temper, but all of this…" She ran a finger slowly down her daughter's stomach and the raw power rippling beneath. "You certainly did not get _this_ from me."

"If that's the case…" Ritsuko hesitated as her mother stared at her, waiting for her question. "Where _did_… I get this from?"

"If you must know." Naoko said lazily as if Ritsuko was simply asking about the weather. She draped her hands around her back and paced away as she started into the long awaited explanation. "You were a meant to be pet project, that ultimately turned into something more. You weren't meant to be anything other then that, I fooled myself into thinking I would be able to simply see you as another leap into a scientific study and further our understanding of how the world works. But…"

Naoko turned sharply on her heels and looked back into Ritsuko's glowing green eyes. "I began to see you as a child,_ my_ child, and I came to realize I could no longer continue what I had planned."

"And exactly what did you have planned for me?"

"Nothing in the long run really, I just wanted to see if I could actually pull it off. My only problem at the time was suspicion from my fellow scientists. Growing a human child simply for scientific curiosity was… and still is I will assume, barbaric. I would never have been granted a donor, therefore I used what I had."

"You used your own…" Ritsuko wondered out loud, watching as Naoko paced around her.

"Yes, and made the decision to use myself to… well... grow you. I actually went on vacation and convinced my coworkers I had met someone abroad to quell any suspicion. It wasn't until late in the pregnancy that something… changed."

"Changed?" Ritsuko asked, beginning to wonder back when she was a child, just how sane her mother truly was.

"Whether it was simply the hormones kicking in or something else entirely, I began to actually want you, a child for my own to raise. But knowing what I had done, I grew afraid of what I had created, what you would become. I decided it best to lock that all away."

"Exactly what was I _supposed _to become?"

Naoko looked over her daughter once more and smiled. That intimidating presence, the massive size and sleek musculature, never would she have imagined it would have turned out so perfect. "You were to be the ultimate combination of man and beast, to have the best of both worlds. And me? I just wanted to see if it could truly be done, and if I would be the one to do it."

Holding back the seething rage and disgust for this apparition in front of her, Ritsuko then prepared her biggest question, despite all she had just been told. She took a breath and prepared herself for the worst. "You never answered my question. If you _are_ my true mother…then tell me. Who, or what… is my father?"

"If its _that_ important to you," Naoko raised a brow, mocking her daughter. "I broke down the entire genetic code found in the DNA one very large, very healthy, African lion." The figure turned around and smiled, satisfied at the unreadable emotion pouring from her daughter. "And for a lion, he was a very handsome specimen. Perfect facial structure, enormous size, and the sleekest mane you could ever imagine."

Ritsuko simply looked at the floor, trying to register everything her mother was telling her yet also unable to actually believe it. It was both disturbing yet also amazing at the same time. _'I'm… really not human...' _Ritsuko looked to her mother once more a bit curious with one of the details. "Of all things why a lion?"

"I chose the lion hoping you were to be female. The lioness is a powerful creature; capable of surviving on her own yet still seeks the protection of males. Though feminists may tell you different, this is… or rather was… a man's world and I hoped some of that lioness would have come out in you. Able to stand on your own two feet, but when necessary… seek out the most powerful male for your own benefit."

Ritsuko closed her eyes, so it was true, her father wasn't human at all making the good doctor more a freak then even she could imagine. And the whole lioness thing… was that what attracted her to Gendo in the first place? Was that why she was so easily manipulated into thinking he would include her in his plot against the world? She shook those thoughts aside as her scientific mind suddenly kicked back in. "But… that's impossible! Two species that different are not compatible, do you even understand how many laws of nature you just broke!"

"Of course, quite proudly I might add. But like I said, I started to actually want you and in the end I was too afraid to go on with it. So while you were still growing inside me I found a way to lock away the animal genes. Most of them I might say."

"Most? I think I would have noticed if I was turning into a mutant lion growing up mother…"

"There were signs as you grew. Subtle, but they were there." The figure smiled eerily once more as it looked over its daughter, admiring the pure strength radiating from her.

"You were always so tall, and even though it delighted me that you turned to science just like I had, it frightened me when you took part in any physical endeavors. You never realized it, being so timid all the time but you were so much stronger then the other children, faster, reflexes that would out do any Olympic athlete if you really tried. It was only your love for books that kept you from realizing this. But beyond that you were a normal child, and grew into a normal beautiful intelligent woman."

"All these years… even if you raised me like a regular kid, I was nothing more to you then a project to keep an eye on?!" Ritsuko growled through a clenched jaw, unable to even fathom the thought that someone like her mother could even exist. A cold shudder ran down her spine as the images of those monsters running around the city came back to her, was she no different to those creatures now as well? "Those… things out there, the crabs and those werewolf things. Was I to fulfill that role should your perfect child had been created?"

"Oh my little pets? No. My crabs were simply a net to keep the unwanted out. The wolves, to get what might slip past the crabs."

Ritsuko let out a sigh of relief. She may still be a monster herself but at least she knew she wouldn't end up like them. "And what about those drug addicted men out there? What part do they play in your grand scheme of things?"

"Ah, one needs followers to change the world, and men are quite easy to control when given the right circumstances." Naoko's image took a few steps closer, that admiring look returning as she once again looked her daughter over. "You my child are nothing like them, they are _nothing_ compared to you. You are my little chimera."

Ritsuko was trying to stay calm, trying to convince the animal in her not to lash out at this hologram in front of her. Even knowing any sort of physical attack would be useless, she still found her hands clenching in anticipation. "Chimera…" She echoed the word, absorbing it's meaning now that she understood exactly what it stood for. "You're completely insane. You always were and still are!"

The image shook her head, almost disappointedly. "Oh Ritsuko, that was one thing you and I never shared. You could never see the bigger picture." Naoko Akagi took a step back into the darkened room, her image soon fading away into nothing.

Ritsuko felt a rumble in the floor, and heard the high-pitched whine of something powering up. She tensed, and kept herself on high alert as her senses buzzed of danger. The rumbling grew stronger, and soon the entire room was shaking terribly. There was no were to go, the huge door was locked and this room was completely solid. Ritsuko simply crouched down defensively, waiting for whatever was in store for her.

* * *

Misato kept on running, hating how she had to leave her friend back there to deal with those armed goons. But there was no other way, Ritsuko was right in the end… again. Misato stood no chance back there, and her presence would only make things just that much harder for her tiger-like friend.

She turned a corner sharply, her gun always at the ready just in case something should be around the bend. To her luck the glowing yellow LCL tubes were incredibly easy to follow, only on one occasion did they disappear into the walls causing Misato to guess where to go next. Fortunately she found them again, and now found herself in a room she didn't really want to be in.

Tanks, big and small, full of that horrid liquid lined the walls and caused the entire room to be washed in an orange glow. Misato took a closer look, tapping the glass gently with her gun as she stared into the immature face of one of the things she had dubbed a WolfWere.

"You're ugly even as a puppy…" She was tempted to open fire and laugh as the tank shattered and everything spilled onto the floor, but she wasn't in the mood to get her boots wet today. She turned around and looked into some of the smaller ones, inside were crabs in various stages maturity similar to the wolves, each one more ugly then the next.

Satisfied none of them were going to pop out and maul her face off, she decided to take a quick look around. The lab itself wasn't very large, but there were enough tanks to make large batches of these things at once, especially the crabs. With the time that had passed while everyone was gone, Misato didn't even want to think how many were out there right now hiding underground, waiting for someone to get too close.

In the middle of the room was a simple computer station, three terminals and that was it. She surmised that these computers here must control the complicated part of growing these monsters, seeing as how right now it was unmanned and unwatched. Misato clicked around a few of them until she pulled up something on each of the tanked critters. She didn't really know what she was looking at but maybe it could be of some use. She reached up for her communicator and buzzed the world above.

"Maya can you reach Rits?"

"_No, I lost contact a while ago she must have gone too far under."_

Misato prayed that was the case, and hoped Ritsuko wasn't taken out by that barricade. "Alright, I think I found where they grow the creepy crawlies, I'll see if I can't send a signal out to you so you can patch in, maybe you can find if there's anything here relating to our dear doctor." Or in her case _not_ relating to Akagi. The last thing Misato wanted to tell her friend now was that she was a close cousin to these… things.

After a bit of instruction from Maya's end Misato was successful. She watched as timers warnings and different bars flashed on the screen signaling that someone was hacking in. She watched it for a little bit, just to make sure Maya's intrusion didn't start up or release anything nasty, particularly a bunch of crab-babies or something just as fowl.

"Alright Maya, I'm going to double back see if I can't find Rits. If I don't I'm going to try make my way back up top if I can. I doubt I'll find anything else useful down here anyway."

There was an awkward silence on the other end, one that this time left Misato with a bad feeling. She gave it a few seconds before trying again.

"Maya? Maya you reading me?" Again silence, this time Misato's gut instinct was telling her something was wrong. "Hell, and I don't even know if I can make it back out on my own."

She walked to the other end of the room and took a peak down the hall. Just the same dark corridors with doors on each side… so many, many doors. Misato let out a deep sigh, there was no point checking them all, she didn't think there was really anything left to find up here, especially if it looked like nothing was important enough to keep guarded.

So she decided to turn back, find her giant friend and hope Akagi was done with this place and in the mood for a long climb back to the surface. "You better be alive Rits. I have a feeling Toji and Maya are in trouble, and I don't exactly feel like getting trapped down here for good."

* * *

The sound of a communicator buzzing rang out, but was ignored by its owner. Maya currently had her sights trained on the ugly maw of a giant bipedal wolf thing, and decided it best not to look like she was talking to someone deep within the enemy base. The only reason she hadn't opened fire yet was the jeep filled with armed men following close behind it.

The wolfwere ran up to the man in the grass, whom was still tied up and immobile, and sniffed around him like a friendly dog greeting a neighbor. It even went so far as to lick his face and whine when the man couldn't return the affection.

One guard jumped from the passenger seat of the truck and walked over to his tied up comrade. The wolfwere excitedly sat next to the newcomer, its tongue hanging out as it waited for a command. He snapped his fingers and the wolf tensed up, its eyeless head listening for the word to jump that bunker and have some fun.

Maya, not wanting to be mauled by that thing continued to keep her sights trained on it. Toji could only watch, tempted to take the smaller firearm from Maya's belt, but didn't want to give that dog-thing a reason to attack, nor did he want to break Maya's concentration. The man – who was obviously the leader of this small group noticed her hands shaking, he hesitated in his orders.

"Put down that gun girly and you may see another sunrise." He said, his hand still raised and being watched intently by the monster sitting at his heel.

"No! Don't hurt them" The other man down on the ground shouted from his spot in the dirt, still tied up and quite uncomfortable. "I caught them snooping around and I-I… brought them here to… um… take them down for processing. So you can take the dogs back inside now, and call off the crabs while you're at it will you?"

Toji and Maya looked at each other, both sharing the same confused look. After being mauled and having his limbs hogtied behind him with his own pants… was this guy really in-truly trying to protect them?

The leader lowered his hand, realizing that there was little danger considering he outgunned the two on this little roof. He looked back down to his friend and raised a brow at his tied up predicament. "That why you're wearing no pants?"

"She's… a lot tougher then she looks?" He said sheepishly, thinking perhaps now was not a good time to mention the Chimera if he wanted to spare these two their lives.

The lead man bent down and untied him, holding back any remark when he noticed the poor guy had been restrained with his own trousers. He ignored the embarrassing scene, only giving his comrade a weird look before explaining why he was out here. "We've had orders to leave the facility, no one goes back in until N-command says so. We were to keep an eye out for the Chimera, and I've got intel that tells me it travels with 3 others." His eyes glanced up with a distrustful frown. "I see two right now that look somewhat suspicious." The wolfwere growled deeply next to the lead man, anxiously waiting the command to rush up there and clamp its jaws down on the little one's throat.

The now untied man stood up, scratching his head as he tried to come up with something on the fly. "Chimera? Here? I think the crabs would have spotted her first don't you think? Besides I think these two were just looking for food I mean look at them they're kids for crying out loud!"

_Kids!_ Maya grumbled but said nothing, very grateful for this guys attempt at keeping them alive, but remaining suspicious at his motives. Toji, sensing her discomfort placed a hand on her weapon and slowly lowered it for her. Maya didn't even realize she still had it trained on that monster down there.

The lead man looked back down to the guy in the dirt, rubbing his stubbled chin as he thought. "All right, but I'm keeping a group here just in case… and for cripes sake man put your pants back on." He then turned around and went back to his jeep, the wolfwere stayed behind, sitting quietly on the ground as any other trained dog with nothing to do would.

Seeing as they were out of danger for now, Maya and Toji jumped down from their high perch and, cautiously as not to get the attention of the huge wolf creature, joined their would be savior as he got back into his pants.

"Why are you helping us? Who are you?" Maya asked, her hands ready to swing the weapon slung over her shoulder just in case the monster next to her had a sudden change of heart -or to a lesser extent from its dog like behavior right now- try and hump her leg.

"Call me Todaka, I-I recognize you. I used to work here a long time ago, a humble job really. I may have only refilled the vending machines but in my line of work you get to see a lot of faces."

Toji then walked forward, slime still dripping off his metal bat as he sized the guy up. After all they've been through this stroke of luck seemed way out of place and he wasn't about to go around trusting this guy with his life just yet. "Alright then , if you want to be so honest tell us this… Who is in charge of this mess? What the hell is going on down there?

"I-this is gonna sound crazy but I'm not too sure. You heard that guy call it N-command right? Well… that's what it is. The command that gives us our orders and rations out the supplies."

"How in the hell can you be standing guard outside a facility that uses mutants… and not know who your doing it for?! Who in their right mind would… would… Arrgh!" Maya nearly screamed at him. Todaka simply looked down at the ground a bit ashamed.

"Well… like I said. When you wake up alone and naked on a beach and someone offers you three meals a day. You really don't ask questions. I'm still pretty new here too, but… I guess that's no excuse huh?" He scratched the back of his head realizing how stupid that really sounded in retrospect.

"Well… for what its worth. Thank you." Maya said, grateful for his goodwill but still a bit amazed that he was as much in the dark as they were, and he practically _lived_ here!

The guy from the jeep walked back towards them, his hand on his communicator as he listened and walked at the same time. He carried a frustrated scowl on his face now, but he didn't have his hands anywhere near a weapon and he ignored the wolfwere as he rejoined them.

"You sure they weren't with anyone else? I'm getting weird orders to just sit tight out here, no one seems to know what's going on." He said to Todaka, who merely shrugged in reply.

Toji then spotted something. He pointed everyone's attention to what looked like a large gathering in the distant fields; the sheer number of vehicles caused the horizon to be blotted out in a cloud of dust. Armored looking tanks and men on foot, lots of them. He couldn't see what they were carrying individually but from the look of the tanks following behind it couldn't be anything friendly.

Groups of helicopters were soon flying overhead in strict patterns that were easily recognizable. They buzzed over the assembly out in the distance, and then circled back around only to do it again. Something was going on, and what ever it was it had an army gathering.

"That big guy said everyone was ordered outside." Toji said to Maya as he watched the airborne display as the choppers circled above with nowhere to go. "They're gathering… but it doesn't look like they're really going anywhere in particular… what the heck is going on?"

Todaka looked to his fellow men in the jeep nearby who in turn shrugged back at him as clueless as anything. He turned back to the two he somewhat saved looking a little downhearted at not being able to tell them much of anything. "Something big… that's all I can say."

The wolfwere that was sitting calmly next to him suddenly began to whine, its perky ears now laying flat against its head as it started pacing back and forth. It even made an attempt to hide behind Maya – who in turn froze in place as the giant creature sought out a safe place like a frightened puppy.

A tremor suddenly rippled through the earth beneath them. Everyone stopped; at first thinking it was just the gathering crowd in the distance. But this felt distinctly like it was coming from below. Again another tremor, and now even the crabs that had been wondering aimlessly let out frightened screeches and dug themselves back into the earth. That wasn't a good sign, and now everyone including the armed men, were regarding each other with uneasy looks.

* * *

The room began to tremble, and despite the instinct to flee, Ritsuko stayed her ground. There really wasn't anywhere to go, and she wanted to see this to the end.

She gasped in horror as two glowing white eyes opened just under the three spherical MAGI orbs as they began to rise up. The wall behind began to crumble away, and Ritsuko's eyes shot open wide when she saw what was hiding behind it.

It was an Eva, and the larger Magi- her mother - were now the brains controlling it. It was a silvery black, smaller then Eva's the children piloted but still a titan in its own form. Parts of it were not armored, most noticeably the unfinished face as two arms stretched forward pulling the massive head down and towards the stunned Akagi.

The glowing white eyes narrowed as it stared at her, the exposed mouth turning up into a hellish grin of massive steel teeth and exposed flesh. The contrast of writhing organic skin and muscle moving under and against the steel plated armor sent chills down Akagi's spine, and caused her body to tremble not of fear, but of something so completely unknown to her that she simply didn't know how to react.

All the power of an Eva, with the mind and reasoning of a human being, not just a human being, her mother, a genius in her own right. Such a thing should not exist.

"Oh…shit…"

A silver armored hand shot out to grab her, Ritsuko leapt in the air just in time, bounding off the enclosed fist and flipping off to safety. She tried to find a way out, a way back to the surface but there was only the sealed door and there was no way she was going to be able to break through that.

She again avoided the massive right hand that tried to grab her, only to be caught mid air by the left. She cried out in pain as she was slammed against the wall, blood spilled from her mouth as she was crushed painfully against both concrete and titanic fingers. Looking up at the massive creation before her she recognized it somewhat, the silver armor was a bit different but the structure was there. It was a rebuilt unit 04, or at least partially.

"Why?" Was all Ritsuko could say as her body fought against the pain. "Why would you do this?"

Immense laughter shook the room. Then the bright glowing eyes drew closer as the Eva came forward. Its massive head and shoulders cracking the room around them, bringing down chunks of steel and concrete as the place crumbled.

"**Because I can**" Naoko's voice emanated from the massive thing, the three spherical MAGI lodged in its forehead and shielded protectively sent out lines of light along the head. The booming voice in this cramped space echoed off the walls and only fueled the deafening resonance as it assaulted Ritsuko's sensitive ears.

Ritsuko tried her hardest not to look, not to stare into those glowing eyes lest she lose all form of sanity. But she had to get free somehow, and she knew she had no choice but to find a way to destroy this monster her mother had become.

Ritsuko began to struggle as the crushing pain became too much. Pushing with all her might against the massive hand she tried to break free, the huge fingers only moving ever so slightly. This only caused Naoko to laugh.

"**If I had known you had the potential for such strength, I would never have hidden that power away.**"

"Then why didn't you just kill me instead of lie to me my entire life!" Ritsuko shouted as she continued her attempt to break free. "The world would have probably been better off without me!"

"**On the contrary. None of this would have come about if you had not continued my work.**"

Ritsuko gasped, her past once again coming back haunt to her. How she was Gendo's lackey, bending to his every whim knowing the consequences of third impact. It was true, all she did was nothing more then continue where Naoko left off, even to go so far as to laugh in her mother's memory whenever she outdid her in anyway. Tears began to stream down her face. Ritsuko helped end the world, and now her mother was planning to rule it.

"Is that why…. Is that why I wasn't on your little monsters list? You wanted me alive? You knew I would have had a hand in third impact!"

"**Yes, I hoped you would have returned. You and I together could have this world, make it work a thousand times better, safer, cleaner more efficient then the current governments ever could! I could never kill you Ritsuko, I am your mother after all.**"

Ritsuko sneered in the face of the Eva, looking at the final twisted purpose for the MAGI. Looking at the final product the Eva's had brought about. Mother? This was not her mother at all!

The massive glowing eyes of the Eva narrowed as Ritsuko began to laugh, long and hard escalating to the sound of madness. The huge hand began to rise and Ritsuko let out a gasp as the crushing pressure was released from around her. The Eva brought her closer to its face, wondering what was so funny.

"You're not my mother. You're nothing but a machine, a program gone bad. Ones and Zeros that have gotten to smart for their original purpose!" She laughed in the face of her so-called mother, coughing up blood in the process. "You're not my mother, you're not even remotely human anymore. You're just the product of a mad scientist who committed suicide because she felt unloved. Because you were jealous of a little _girl_." She sneered, and bared her fangs in a mocking grin.

The eyes of the Eva turned to dangerous white-hot slits. "**Ritsuko.** **In all my years… you are indeed, in every sense of the word. My greatest **_**failure**_**.**"

The massive armored hand reared back, and Ritsuko felt herself fly through the air as she was thrown. This was what she wanted; she just needed one chance to get free of her mother's grasp if she were to have any chance at destroying her. She braced herself as the wall quickly came rushing towards her, knowing this was going to hurt.

She hit so hard that her body left an indentation in the wall before falling to the floor, leaving a similar crater there as well as gravity went to work. Ritsuko coughed and moaned as her body cried out in pain, and prayed that it was indeed as tough as it looked.

She looked up just in time to see a partial silver fist coming right at her, and fast. Ritsuko smiled, and with a pained gasp pushed herself into the air once more, dodging the massive hand as it punched the wall where Ritsuko just was, and smashing right through it.

Without a second thought, Ritsuko ran, dodging dust and debris in the crumbling chaos slipping out the destroyed wall before the Naoko-Eva could even notice. She didn't look back to see if it followed, the sounds of its massive growls incentive enough to run like hell. She needed to find Misato, she needed to get the both of them out before this monster brought the entire place down on top of them.

* * *

A/N: lulz this story has gotten downright ridiculous. XD

Sorry for the wait and I hope this doesn't seem too rushed. The whole family summer gathering has started up again. Oy…


	15. Titan

Disclaimer – NGE and all its characters are copyright their respected owners, but I'd hope everyone knows that by now.

* * *

Ch –15 Titan

Misato was quite happy with herself, with the way she was able to retrace her steps and find her way back down the endless corridors. NERV in general was hard enough to traverse as it was, even when she worked here, Misato could easily find herself walking down a wrong hallway only to end up turned around and lost. NERV in the day was a nightmare, NERV in the dark - Misato thought it a miracle that she managed to end up going in the right direction at all.

At least, she thought she was going in the right direction.

"Yep, definitely right direction…" She confirmed to herself as she came across bullet holes that peppered the walls, along with the missing metal plate her friend had torn from them and used as a shield. The blood spatters in the area where Misato was told to run had only just begun to dry. Ritsuko's blood… she hoped she was all right.

Misato went a little further, coming across what was left of the barricade that blocked them, and the men who were unlucky to be down here. There was no one left, alive that is, and the barricade itself was completely destroyed. Eyeing the torn and twisted metal of the turret that was once attached to the roof, she did not doubt who was responsible for its current condition. Misato began to imagine what their faces must have looked like when Ritsuko charged into them. She wished she could have stuck around to see that.

Or maybe not. She changed her mind quickly as she came upon the bodies. Wondering perhaps she was better off not adding any more disturbing imagery to her already disturbed mind.

Misato stifled a gasp at the sight of their remains. Throats slit, bullet ridden, limbs clearly broken and even one was torn apart. She ignored the cold feeling crawling up her spine, knowing that she once shared a dorm with the person who capable of this. She was frightened, that she admitted to herself. From the first encounter with Ritsuko Misato was frightened of what her friend was. And given the origin of the EVAs, worried where that savagery and power came from. But Ritsuko so far had proven that she was no construct of NERV, and Misato was not about to pass judgement on her old friend simply because she had a tiff with a former employer.

She shook off the sight and continued onward; glad to see her friend wasn't among the pile of dead. The trail of blood that continued down the hall worried her however. Clearly if Ritsuko made it past, she did not do so unscathed.

A sudden rumbling caught her off guard. That's all she needed now, was this place to cave in on top of her. She ran off to the side and leaned against the wall to wait it out, hoping it was something simple causing it, and not more men hauling god knows what. It was a good five minutes before the shaking stopped. Misato waited an extra minute just to be safe, then continued on. She stopped again at the sound of something exploding, not liking it one bit, when a sudden howling force of dust came directly at her.

She had to shield her eyes as it engulfed her, coughing as dust and debris assaulted her completely, greying out all sight. She heard footsteps in the haze, fast footsteps, and they were getting closer. She opened her eyes and strained through the dust cloud, readying her weapon should those feet belong to a wolf creature. Her eyes caught sight of movement in the dust, only to see her friend barrelling straight towards her.

"Rits! You ma—OOF!"

Misato's excited welcome was cut short as she was semi-tackled by her friend and tossed over a shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"You _really_ don't want to go that way Misato…" Ritsuko huffed as she ran as fast as she could, not even breaking her stride as she hefted Misato along with her.

"What the hell? What's so bad down there that…"

The floor where they just were suddenly erupted as a massive face broke through. The huge white glowing eyes glaring at them like some sort of crazed demon. Misato's own eyes widened, not entirely sure what she was looking at, except that it looked like an Eva, and it was currently breaking through the floor about to chase after them!

"Rits…. Please go faster! Please go faster! Please go faster!" She begged as a huge arm began snaking down the hallway towards them, destroying the structure in the process. Its massive armored hand reaching out, preparing to grab whatever it could.

Ritsuko ignored her pleas. She was already going as fast as possible in the small space she had, dodging and weaving through debris as the EVA chasing them started to bring the whole place down. The rumbling of NERVs hallways collapsing drowned out the deep growls emanating from her throat.

They would never make it out in time, not if she tried to go the way they came in. But Ritsuko didn't exactly have a map on hand, nor did she know if any of the other passages had been altered like the one she found her mother in. That only left her with one real option, it wasn't going to be fun, but it was the only real shot of escaping right now.

She took a left when she should have taken a right. Misato noticed this; her already tight grip tensed further around her friend as a sense of dread came over her.

"Rits, you're going the wrong way!" She screamed over the sound of concrete crumbling around them. This was definitely not the way back to the elevator shaft!

"We'll never make it!" Ritsuko shouted back, breathing hard and deep as she pushed herself. She knew she could outrun this thing if she really tried, but already she was feeling her body rapidly warming up. The last thing she needed now was to repeat the incident from the highway tunnel, and pass out due to heat exhaustion. "Don't worry, I know a shortcut… a really big shortcut."

"What?!" Misato didn't know of any shortcuts. Unless Ritsuko meant… "You can't be serious!"

But she was, and as Ritsuko took the two of them around one final bend Misato closed her eyes. In front of them was nothing, just a gaping void of twisted steel and broken building that descended into pitch-black nothingness. And with no other option, Ritsuko pushed herself into one last dash, and willingly leapt into oblivion.

* * *

Outside, by the small entrance into the giant complex things were different. The rumbling had caused the two parties, consisting of Toji and Maya and the group of armed goons, into looking to each other, wondering what the heck was going on. The source of the rumbling soon turned into loud crashes and bangs causing men to jump at every sound. They were getting antsy, and nothing good ever came from an entire army with itchy trigger fingers.

It was growing louder somewhere off in the distance, where the grass and trees ended and turned into a massive hole in the earth. They were much to far away to see what was causing the terrible quakes and horrendous sounds. They could barely hear each other over the ground shaking as it was. The lead goon, the tall scruffy man that had found them, kept looking between his two captors and the horizon. Wanting to check it out and put and end to the rumbling, but not wanting to leave them here to cause any more trouble.

Todaka, growing frustrated with his commander's failure to take action, spoke up first. "Take them with us." He said, pants and all. His superior frowned at first, thought about it, then acquiesced.

"Fine." He said rather gruffly, and then turned towards the jeep, snapping his fingers to get the attention of his men. He then turned towards his two captors and glared. "Get in and don't try anything." His point made clear when his own wolfwere jumped into the back of the jeep and settled down.

Much to Maya's horror, she was made to sit right next to it. It didn't seem to care, but Maya was now so close she could feel the hard carapace armor it had in places, and the foul hot breath as it exhaled. The sensation creeped her out considerably, and all she could do was try to lean against Toji as best she could and ignore the monster sitting next to her.

The creature moved, shoving its nose into her hair and taking in her scent. Maya closed her eyes, and as the jeep began to move she placed her thoughts onto one thing, drowning out everything else going on. She kept thinking about her Sempai, forcing herself to believe she was all right and knowing whatever was causing these quakes, Sempai would be able to stop it.

'_she's all right, she's all right, she's alright.'_ She kept up the mantra, clinging to Toji and wishing she could see her Sempai one more time just to know she was alive.

* * *

She climbed as hard and as fast as she could. Never looking down, never looking back. Below was nothing, just an empty void that threatened to swallow all if she lost her grip. Above was sky, dark as night continued on, but sky nonetheless.

She could hear it behind her, following. The passageway she had come through slowed it down somewhat. But it took mere seconds before the massive Eva had broken through and began its own ascent. Ritsuko tried to ignore it, forcing her attention on her rapid climbing and not the howling madness coming from that thing below. It screamed her name, laughed at her attempts to escape and even went so far as to insult the woman clinging to her back.

But she pressed on, and the sky above never looked more inviting. What she would give to be able to sit under those stars one last time, or to simply take a breath fresh air again! She used that incentive to keep moving, to block out the sounds of the true monster looming ever so closer.

_We're not going to make it!_ She was so close, but Naoko was moving faster. Ritsuko could feel the vibrations in the debris she was clinging to, every time the massive hands of the Eva slammed into it drawing it ever closer to her. She could see the top, so close yet not close enough!

She stopped.

"Rits! Are you nuts?!" Misato's protests went unheard. Ritsuko was too busy thinking, looking around for something that could help. There was a slab of concrete sticking out amongst the debris to her left, she could use it as a ledge. But, she would have to jump for it without knowing if it was stable enough to take her weight. She looked down, Naoko was too close, she had to do it, had to at least try!

"Hang on!" Ritsuko shouted, drawing her legs up under her and pushing off just in time. Huge fingers came crashing down where she was moments before, pulling most of the wall down with it.

The ledge groaned underneath her as she landed, but it held. Ritsuko wasted no time; reaching behind her she grabbed her friend, and with a mighty roar launched Misato skywards with all her strength. She watched as her friend screamed the entire way, before vanishing over the ledge of the crater.

That was the last thing she saw, as something terrible and huge slammed into her from below. The world faded to black.

* * *

They all heard a terrible scream coming from the massive crater they were heading to. The driver planted his feet on the brakes and the jeep housing Toji and the others skid to an abrupt halt. All eyes were forward watching as a single woman came flying out of the giant hole in the earth, only to land hard on the ground.

Toji blinked, looked to Maya who was sharing the same shocked expression, then looked back ahead. "Was that Misato-san!?" He shouted as he stood up in the jeep trying to get a better look. Maya wasn't sure herself, but it did really look like her.

There was another terrible sound, a horrendous roar that bellowed from the earth. Someone else now was ejected from the ground, but this one was moving much faster and going much much higher.

"That's definitely Sempai!" Maya shouted, nearly stepping on the man in front of her as she tried to see if she was all right.

To their horror she didn't come alone. Seconds later a monstrous hand followed her out, it gripped the edge of the creator and began to pull its massive frame into view. Its terrible white glowing eyes taking in its surroundings, glaring at everyone and everything out there.

There was a silence that hovered over everything as the titan showed itself for the first time to its underlings. It had never planned to show itself to them in this form, and seeing all their stunned faces staring back up at it now. All it could do was display a demonic grin as it tried to hold back its own laughter. Someone screamed, others began to run, chaos was about to break loose.

Todaka's group leader stared as well, he knew what an Eva was, but this thing was like nothing he had seen before. It was smaller for one thing, and it wasn't streamlined like the purple and red ones he had seen during the angel attacks. This was fleshy, its armor unfinished. It simply looked like a terror come to life.

"Is that what you've been taking your orders from?" Maya shouted at him furiously, still leaning on the poor man in front of her.

"I…I…" He stumbled on his words. He had no answer for her really, and deep down he had the sinking feeling that thing crawling from the depths of the earth really was what they had been protecting this entire time! He suddenly felt ashamed.

"You and I both know this is wrong!" Todaka took over. "Sure we we're taken care of, but at what cost! Think of all the people we've killed now, for no reason other than something _told_ us to!" He pointed towards the monster that was now standing up to its full height. "Because that _thing_ told us too!"

"I..." The man was now shaking with rage. He had been tricked into thinking he was part of something good, something that would change the world. Nothing that hideous and demonic could possible make the planet a better place.

He spit on the ground, and then brought up his radio. "I want all units to converge on that position immediately, surround it!" He looked back at the monstrosity looming in the night sky like a demon. "What the hell is that thing!"

"It's the Magi…" Maya whispered as she looked to it, eyes widening as she spotted the three familiar looking spheres in its skull. "But… that's impossible."

Toji looked worriedly at the downfallen expression that suddenly fell over Maya. He didn't know what she was talking about, so all he could do was take her hand silently reassuring her they were going to make it through this. "We need to help Akagi-san." He said, drawing her attention away from the monster out there.

Maya blinked, then turned to Todaka and pleaded with him. "Please, take us closer. There's someone out there we need to find, someone who can probably stop that thing!"

Todaka in turn looked to his commander, the taller gruffer man had heard Maya's every word. He was chewing over what to do; watching as the army around him hesitantly crept closer to the giant. Another trail of saliva hit the ground before he tapped the driver's shoulder and told him get them closer. He ignored the smile on his captor's face, and only looked back when he felt a hand grab his arm.

"Thank you." Maya said sincerely before sitting back down.

He nodded to her, then returned his gaze forward wondering if this was the craziest thing he had ever done, and if they were going to get out of this alive.

* * *

When she came too she felt strange, light. She looked down, she was above the earth, soaring. Then reality hit her like a ton of bricks. She wasn't soaring; she had been literally punched into the air! Her body cried out in pain from the impact of that massive fist, and now Ritsuko scrambled in mid air as the ground came rushing back towards her. She ignored the hundreds of armored vehicles and the giant Eva below her, the only thing running through her mind right now repeated over and over. Do lions land on their feet as well?

Stars erupted behind her eyes as she hit the ground. She tried to get up, had to get up, but she was so battered and bruised that she found her movements lagging. She thought she heard someone calling her name; the ringing in her ears practically deafened her completely.

"Rits? Ritsu can you hear me?"

She was certain she heard Misato, her voice sounded so far away. Ritsuko shakily turned her head to the source of that voice, blinking painfully as her eyes had trouble focusing. She became aware of the warm liquid dripping freely from her mouth and nose, along with a wave of nausea that threatened to steal her consciousness once more.

"Ritsuko!" The voice again, the buzzing was beginning to subside. "Rits!" Shaking her head this time her vision cleared. She could see it was indeed Misato a few yards away, she was crawling, her right leg dragging behind her painfully.

"Misato?" Ritsuko said as the blurred surroundings returned and she remembered what was going on.

"MOVE!" The purple haired woman bellowed, her hand pointing to something behind Ritsuko.

Everything came back to her in a rush, and without even thinking Ritsuko had turned on her back, just in time to see a massive fist coming to crush her out of existence.

She didn't even have to think about it, her body reacted on its own, running purely on survival instincts. Ritsuko rolled out the way just in time, the massive fist causing a small tremor and creating another crater in the earth. She then dove towards her friend, scooping Misato into her arms in one easy motion. She just kept moving, trying to get her to a safe distance if possible.

"**Where are you going little chimera?**" Naoko spoke as it watched its daughter run. "**Where do you plan to hide? Can't you see it's useless? Come back to me and we can start all over again!**"

Ritsuko once more tried to ignore it, ignore the chills running down her spine. She just kept running for the clearing of trees ahead of her, hoping she could at least hide Misato in there and deal with this thing on her own.

But Naoko would have none of that. The massive creature propelled itself into the air, easily clearing the distance Ritsuko had run and landed directly in front of them. Ritsuko somehow managed to stay on her feet as the earth trembled from the impact.

"**Listen to your mother little girl!**" It scolded, keeping up the ruse that Ritsuko was indeed its flesh and blood. A rumbling laugh rolled like thunder, and the Eva reared its arm back ready to strike again.

"Sorry about this Misato." Ritsuko apologized, and for the third time since they were reunited, Misato found herself being thrown. The purple haired woman sailed between the Eva's legs and came to a stop when she landed in the soft brush in the cluster of trees.

Misato ignored the shooting pain in her leg and scrambled to her feet just in time to see her friend vanish as the hand came down.

The Eva began to raise its arm again, bringing its prize closer for inspection. In its mighty hand Ritsuko struggled, scratching and biting to no avail. Despite teeth and claws drawing its orange blood the Eva would not let go.

"Why do you keep playing with me!" She called out within the grip of her so-called mother, refusing to look into the burning white eyes.

"**This is your last chance child. Side with me and I will not only let them all go, I will make you more powerful then you can even imagine, more powerful then you are even now!**" It spoke, staring at the tiny human in its hands.

"Let them all go? You really expect me to believe that? What use are they to you now? They've seen what you are, they will never listen to you again." Ritsuko snarled, holding back a scream as the titanic fingers crushed her.

"**That's it then? You will throw everything away just like that? Do you have any love left for your mother at all that you can't see I want you to stay with me?**"

Ritsuko finally looked to it, directly at it. The Eva's glowing white eyes burning as it waiting for an answer. "I did love her once, I admired her, wanted to be just like her, before everything that eventually spawned you came into our lives!" She let her head hang low. "Before I learned what she did to me… but… I can assure you." That feral sneer returned; her body tensed as she growled baring fangs and all. "You are **not** my mother!"

A second of silence went by, and Ritsuko could of sworn one brow on the Eva rose higher then the other. Then it spoke, nonchalantly, and said.

"**Very well.**"

Naoko made it known to all that the conversation was now over by raising its arm high, and prepared to slam the small human into the ground.

An explosion erupted and lit up the night. The knee of the titan buckled causing it to drop down onto one knee. In its attempt not to lose its balance it lost its grip on its prize. Ritsuko felt the hand let go, and she was once again hurtling towards the ground. This time she landed on her feet, proudly, like a cat-person should, and took off to where she had thrown Misato.

By this time the Mini-Eva had forgotten all about Ritsuko, instead turning its attention to those that had attacked it. The white eyes narrowed to dangerous slits as it looked over the army that it had planned to command for itself. A roar of anger burst forth that shook the land, the small tanks and armored cars quickly began to back away.

"**You dare point your weapons at me! I - who has taken care of you! Fed you! Kept you safe!"** Its arm came down in a giant swing, swatting away the unlucky tanks that were still nearby like they were only small toys. **" I am the one who gave you these weapons!**"It picked up another in its grasp and crushed it easily."**I was the one to give you shelter and this is how you repay me? Foolish foolish little men, I would have given you the world! Now I will only give you destruction!**"

Misato and Ritsuko could only watch in horror as it turned on its own men, charging into the group crushing everything in its path. Swatting helicopters out the air like mosquitoes and stepping on whatever wasn't fast enough to get away from its feet.

The ones that did get away opened fire, but it wasn't a coordinated attack, it was simply a group of frightened people trying to defend themselves. The attack was sporadic at best; the Eva didn't even look annoyed.

Misato then spotted something far off in the chaos. She tapped her friend on the shoulder pointing out over the sea of men at the same time. "I think I see Maya! Look over there in a jeep."

Ritsuko followed to where she pointed and spotted her as well, and Toji. The jeep was far behind the larger group and was currently out of danger. There was still no way to get to them safely, and even so, what the heck would she do once she got there?

They continued to watch as weapons fire hit it, the smaller rifle bullets bouncing off its armor harmlessly. One shot however, a single shell from one of the larger tanks, seemed to actually bother it. The Mini-Eva turned its attention immediately to the offender and flattened it out of existence. Someone fired an RPG, it had similar results as the Eva seemed to actually feel it. Ritsuko thought this was odd, then realized why.

"They're… actually hitting it?" She watched, completely engrossed by the way the bullets ricochet off the silver armor, the way that one shell from the tank had dented and blackened its metallic surface. There was nothing else protecting it. "There's no AT-Field… It can't produce and AT-Field!"

Realization set in, this thing was not invincible, not in the least. It wasn't even a real Eva, the only danger coming from it was its size and the fact that it had a genius mind controlling it. But even so, if they could actually damage it, that means they at least stood a chance.

A thought came to her. She quickly looked to Misato, then down at her own hands. Her hands, now large and clawed barely resembling the dainty female hands she used to have. The paw-like structure giving them a grip as powerful as any machine vice, and with a little luck, that power was going to come in handy very soon.

"Misato…" She called to her friend. The purple haired woman pulled her gaze from the ensuing onslaught. "You think you can get control of those men and keep the attention of that thing for a short while?"

"What? Why?!" Misato wondered as she tried to figure out what insane guinea pig was running around in Ritsuko's skull.

A growl began to well in Ritsuko's throat. She looked back up at the monstrosity, that thing that claimed to be her mother. The growl now rumbling freely as she let her hatred towards it and all it stood for run freely through her. She looked back down to her hands, they were clenched into tight fists now. She brought them down, breathing deeply, flexing every muscle in anticipation as her feet started to rhythmically stamp the ground. "Can you do it?" She somehow managed to say through clenched teeth.

"I can try." Misato replied, recognizing a building frenzy when she saw one. "Try not to lose your head."

A feral smiled crossed her lips. She could do this; as long as she avoided the hands she knew she had a good chance to do this. She roared at the Eva, at her mother, a long loud lion-like rumble challenging the demon in front of her. Ritsuko released that pent up fury charging towards the construct with all the force of a freight train. She leaped high and hard, claws digging into steel plating as she latched onto the back of the thigh and began to make her way upwards.

If this was the only way to do it, so be it. She would tear this thing apart with her bare hands if she had to.

* * *

A/N: Sorry about the wait, had family visiting.

This was going to be longer but I had to break it into two chapters, it was just getting way to long to post all at once. So the second, and final chapter should be up soonish. I do hope people are still enjoying it, despite the sillyness of the whole ordeal.

Thank you all for your reviews.


	16. Eva 01

Disclaimer – NGE and all its characters are copyright their respected owners  
- I apologize for lack of updates, life got in the way -

* * *

Ch – 16 – Eva 01

The giant monstrosity continued its assault on its own forces, so furious at their betrayal that it momentarily abandoned its attention on a bigger threat.

Ritsuko, in her own primal rage ascended the armored leg as quickly as her strength would allow. Claws digging into the steel armor surprisingly easier then she could ever imagine. Lions were not this strong; lions did not have claws this sharp. Whatever Naoko had done to Ritsuko in the past went far beyond simply the mixing of species.

Even so, a real Eva's armored plating would not allow such damage from minor weapons, its A.T field would have done away with petty weapons such as these, not to mention obliterate the mutant scientist crawling along its leg. Yet here and now, as explosions rocked the titan they left behind dents and marks, scarring the silver skin enough to annoy the monstrous thing.

Ritsuko did not question her luck, merely passing it off to the fact that the NaokoEva was unfinished. Only parts of the arm and face were exposed, the rest of the body was streamlined and gleaming in the white silver plating. Although that steel plating was now being used as a scratching post.

"You made yourself a titan but cut corners along the way?" Ritsuko thought to herself, as she carefully made her way upwards, grateful for the distraction the little force below was causing. "Very sloppy mother, very sloppy."

Finally she found a spot that looked vulnerable. Ritsuko waited for the Eva to stop moving slightly, timing this just right before pouncing right below the base of the skull. If this were a true Eva this is where the entry plug would be. But seeing as how this thing was half the size Ritsuko doubted one was there. Still, it was based on the true Eva so there was a good chance that this would be one overlooked design flaw she could go with.

Her claws latched onto where two armor plates were able to move against one other, and pulled. It took a moment, but her unrelenting strength yielded results, the two thick metal plates began to rise and buckle under the strain, slowly but surely.

Ritsuko was interrupted as another series of explosions rocked the giant. It screamed out in its terrible booming voice as round after round of explosives slammed into it. She had to halt what she was doing and simply hold on for dear life as the Eva thrashed around in the chaos. Again another barrage hit it, this time from the other side causing the Eva to turn rapidly, swatting at whatever was closest.

"_Alright Misato, it's nice you organized them but remember who's riding on the back of this thing!" _Ritsuko noted that the explosions were less random, every volley coming in timed waves and in alternate directions. Despite clinging to the back of this thing as it thrashed about, Ritsuko managed a grin. Recent differences aside, she knew she could always count on her friend.

The Eva stopped in its thrashing long enough for Ritsuko to regain her balance, swinging herself up towards the damaged area, and bringing a powerful clawed hand down on the soft exposed flesh.

Almost immediately the Eva cried out, obviously feeling as long sharp claws dug deep into the back of its neck. Ritsuko didn't stop there; she was intent on disabling this thing one way or another, and began by tearing away with both hands. Orange fluid spilled out as she dug her way down, burrowing into the Eva like some sort of parasite. There was no entry plug hatch here, but that didn't stop Ritsuko from making her own.

She looked up just in time to see the massive arm angling backwards, Ritsuko allowed herself to slide down its armored back as huge fingers slammed down where she just was. The Eva in its search for the attacker only succeeded in injuring itself, as fingers tore at Ritsuko's handiwork, removing more flesh and damaging its own armor plating.

Ritsuko gave a fanged grin as she watched the Eva tear at itself. It thrashed about as it tried to find her, swinging and turning in all directions. Ritsuko somehow held on, that is until the Eva's back faced the army of men below. She had to move quickly, ascending up the thing's back just as a barrage of weapons fire slammed into it. Explosions rocked both of them about, and Ritsuko realized she had to get away or else be caught up in the chaos as well. This idea didn't work, it was time to back off and rethink. There was no easy way down however, she had to jump.

Powerful Legs coiling underneath her she launched herself up and away, but in doing so also brought her right into the titan's line of sight. It reached out faster than seemed possible, its huge armored hand plucking Ritsuko right out of the air.

"**I had wondered where you had gotten too my little chimera." **Naoko's voice boomed from the Eva as it held her daughter tightly. **"Now, lets see exactly how well I made you."**

**

* * *

**

Down on the ground Maya plugged an ear as she tried to listen to what Misato was trying to say. In the chaos of the men below, Misato had begged her to take a small group of soldiers to the other side of the monstrosity so they could coordinate the attack more efficiently. Maya was terrified at first, but once Todaka convinced them to listen to her, things started to come together. Maya also discovered that most of these men weren't really military at all, and in being so had no real clue what they were doing. This was to Maya's benefit, as they were quicker to cooperate with her when they noticed that she and the other purple haired woman had some sort of experience.

With Misato's help, they were able to keep the Eva's attention on them, distracting it long enough for the green-eyed creature to sneak up along its back. Everything was going well… That is until the Eva turned unexpectedly, and the sight of Ritsuko in the Eva's grip put a halt to everything.

"_Maya, can you hear me? What's going on I don't see Rits anymore!"_

Maya didn't say anything, more concerned on what this thing was about to do, and what they could do about it, if anything. She could only watch in horror however as it reared its hand back, then brought it down hard into the ground.

The earth shook from the impact, and left a good-sized crater in the ground. The Eva however was now in an awkward position, appearing somewhat vulnerable the men took advantage and continued their attack.

"Hold your fire! Stop!" Maya shouted over and over with little results. "Sempai is under there!"

Luckily Misato heard as well, and began relaying the order to cease-fire. Soon the air fell silent, nothing moved. The bright glowing eyes of the Eva were concentrating on its fist and ignoring the rest of the world around it. The Eva brought it up, opening its palm to regard the passenger inside. A deep loud chuckle escaping from inside the armored beast as it looked down on Ritsuko.

"**All right, I'm impressed."**

She was battered all to hell, blood poured from cuts and gashes from all over, but she was alive. Somehow her screwed up genetics kept bones intact, somehow she was still breathing. Barely conscious, Ritsuko could do nothing but stare back at her so-called mother, green eyes ablaze with pure hate. "So… you have me. What now?" She said between breaths, trying not to focus on the pain.

A moment went by as the two stared off, the ground beneath them all but quiet as everyone waited for the monsters next move. Then, the horrid visage of the fake Eva twisted into a fleshy grin before opening its steel toothed maw wide, and tossed Ritsuko in.

Down below, Maya screamed as the titan looming over them seemingly swallowed her Sempai. Toji came running up from one of the jeeps, yelling at the poor woman to do something, anything at all instead of sitting here and watching as a monster devoured his hero. She tapped her comm. and contacted Misato.

"Did you see that? What do we do now?"

Misato didn't respond immediately, as she too was unsure of what to do. _"I don't know, just… Oh hell! Just start shooting it!"_

_

* * *

_

It happened so quickly Ritsuko didn't even realize where she was as everything darkened as the mouth closed. All she could feel was the sticky saliva quickly soaking her clothing, and the writhing warm tongue tossing her around like a morsel of food.

_"Okay, this is gross."_

She managed to get on her feet, but the slimy interior of the Eva's mouth had her sliding about. Ritsuko fell to one knee just as the jaws clamped down. The fall may have saved her life, but she still cried out as the edge of a steel tooth caught her shoulder badly, digging deep into her flesh.

Despite the crushed shoulder she raised her arms instinctively, bracing them against the roof of the mouth and pushing upwards as best she could. She surprised even herself when the pressure on her shoulder lessened and she was able to free her herself from the blunt teeth. But even if Ritsuko was somehow strong enough to hold up even this fake Eva's jaws, she knew her 'mother' was toying with her.

"Why play with me!" Ritsuko shouted angrily though the pain and bleeding wounds. "Why not just get it over with?"

The Eva laughed. **"Why be rid of you so easily when it's so much more fun to watch your little friends panic below."**

The overwhelming jaws tried to come down once again and somehow she managed to keep them from crushing her. Ritsuko knew she couldn't keep this up forever; both exhaustion and injury were taking their toll on her body. Right now it was a race to see if her strength would run out, or if the massive beast would decide it easier to swallow her whole instead.

Despite the damp horrid surroundings she managed a quick look around, never in her life would she ever imagine herself inside the mouth of an Evangelion. In fact, there was a reason they armored them the way they did, why each one wore different shaped facemask with the mouth sealed. It wasn't just a means of control, an Evangelion was powerful but underneath that armor was soft and vulnerable, and the most vulnerable spot was the mouth itself. The palate was weak, not much between it and the vital components above.

This gave Ritsuko an idea, a terrible idea, but she didn't have much choice right now.

Managing somehow to get one hand to her ear, Ritsuko tapped her communicator and prayed to every god in every religion and myth that it was still working.

"_Anyone out there, anyone at all can you hear me?"_

"Rits?" Misato answered, unsure if she heard correctly. She had rejoined Maya and Toji in the sea of men, both now looking to the purple haired woman in shock.

"Sempai, you're alive? How, w-where are you?" Maya shouted into the earpiece while Toji clung to her arm listening intently.

"_I-I'm inside this thing, in its mouth-trying not to get…eaten!"_ She tried to explain as quickly and as clearly as she could through the strain of the massive jaws. "_You guys got a lot of firepower down there so… group up… all of you! Get your guns and get in front of it! I'm going to try something and I only have the strength to do this once!"_

Back on the ground Misato and Maya didn't even think twice, both barked orders like no tomorrow and soon had begun rallying everyone around them. Toji helped by convincing those who still looked unsure. Those in command relayed the plan to those in the sky, and soon everyone and everything was on the move.

She brought her voice to a whisper, hoping perhaps this behemoth would not overhear. _"I'm going to open this things mouth and when you see it open fire. With everything you got all right! Don't hold back! Everything!"_

Sliding to a dead stop, it was Toji who took in what Ritsuko had just said. He quickly turned to Maya, who too now sported a slightly confused expression. They both looked to each other- realizing what Akagi was asking them to do.

"But you're in there! What are you going to do? We can't… we just… can't!" Toji yelled into his earpiece unable to even think of what would happen to her if they did actually fire.

_"Yes you can! Because if you don't everything and everyone you see right now will most likely be killed. Toji please."_ Her voice changed then, becoming softer despite the tremendous strain she was under. It was all she could do to reassure the boy, to tell him that this was the only way. _"Do it for me."_

"**He cares for you, how touching."**

The false Eva laughed as it listened in on the conversation, ignoring the sea of people below it as everything moved about. It was having too much fun with its daughter to care what they were up to.

"**But it surprises me that you have failed to realize one important thing. Even if you destroy this body I now possess, this reborn MAGI that I now control. It will do you no good."**

Ritsuko tried to ignore her and concentrated on not getting crushed, thinking her mother was just trying to make her lose heart and give up.

**It pains me to see that you forget… that this was not the only MAGI in existence.**

Ritsuko nearly lost her footing right then and there, but somehow managed to keep the massive teeth from crushing her. How could she have forgotten such a thing? The Magi wasn't exclusive to Tokyo-3, it was worldwide! China, Germany, even America. How could she have really thought that it would be as easy as destroying this abomination here and now?

"This… it can't be... I…" She couldn't form words, no matter what now, she was either going to be killed from being crushed in the maw of this monster, or blown away when everything outside lets loose all their firepower into the mouth of the Eva. "It's… pointless…"

Feeling the world crumbling around her, she took one last look out at the sky. She expected to see an orange rising sun, clouds slowly fading as a new day restarted everything anew. But what she saw was something that put a smile on her face, and from the way she could feel the jaws slacken in their crushing embrace, her mother saw it as well.

Out in the still air standing unknown amongst the others towering over all, towering over even the evil that was Naoko Akagi was a violet haze. The shape was immediately recognizable, the antennae-like horn and burning yellow eyes burning brightly with the power of a true Evangelion.

Ritsuko blinked over and over to make sure she wasn't imagining this. It was ghostly, as she could partially see helicopters hovering in the distance through it. Those below looked oblivious to its presence even though it stood among them, on top of them, but it was definitely there. The giant purple behemoth that was Unit 01 was there; Shinji was there… he always was.

Ritsuko's smile widened. She was now reassured on what she had to do. She knew she was going to die; yet because of the sight before her eyes Ritsuko felt that reassuring calmness flow through her and silently thanked the boy that had been with them all along. She would gladly sacrifice herself if it meant they could all have a second chance.

"It may be the end for me mother, for all that I've done it's a fitting end… but for them – not just my friends but all of them out there, now they know... they know they can kill you and they will come for you!"

A chuckle from the lioness, the false-Eva had no response. Could it be fear? Does it know it's dealing with something beyond even itself? Of all the technology of all the science it could not foresee the interference from the spirit of a young boy.

No matter. It was time to end it now.

With eyes closed tight, Ritsuko threw back her head, opened her fanged mouth and uttered a loud rumbling furious roar. She pushes upward, rippling muscles taught under her skin as she taps into every last reserve of strength she had, and pushed it even further.

Down below they see the signal, the mouth opening wide.

The sky erupted into fire.

_

* * *

_

A/N: This was supposed to be the final chapter but I don't know if I'll actually be able to get to edit it anytime soon so I've broken it into two chapters, sorry for the shortness. With so much time passing, I kind of lost interest in this fic as well, so thanks to everyone who stuck by and sent me those kind messages urging me to complete this, I appreciate everyone. I just hope this is still readable.

Also, in case anyone was wondering if Ritsuko is a bit overpowered… well… yes she is, but this Eva is – Half the size of a real one – A knock off version – Incomplete. Soooo… yeah. It's a bit of a push over compared to the real deal.


	17. End

Disclaimer – NGE and all its characters are copyright their respected owners  
- I apologize for lack of updates, life got in the way -

* * *

Chapter 17 - end

The titan screamed as the assault battered its face. Explosions and gunfire slammed into it, all pinpointed on one vulnerable spot. Black smoke and fire obstructed the target, but still everyone and everything fired until it got to the point were no one even saw what they were shooting at anymore. Misato relayed the order to cease-fire when she realized there was no point at shooting at a black cloud.

"Something's not right." Maya said next to her as they both stared up through the obstructed view. "It's still standing."

It moved finally, its right arm rising to waft away the smoke cloud around it. Its face came into view, the metallic armor was now shredded and burned a few places dented and broken. One of its eyes was now darkened but the titan in general was still standing.

"We missed?" Misato murmured to herself in disbelief.

The Eva appeared injured, a step up from all the punishment they threw at it earlier but it was nowhere near dead. During the onslaught the mouth had closed just enough to shield itself from harm, inside however Ritsuko was barely hanging on. A few shots and explosions had penetrated into the giant maw, but doing more harm to her then the beast itself. Now, her strength was all but spent, with just enough to keep the jaws from crushing down completely.

"What do you mean we missed!" Toji shouted angrily at Misato as he ran up next to her. "They had the biggest target in the world! How could these idiots miss?"

"I can't hear sempai anymore." Maya added while trying to get through on her communicator, but no matter what she did everything was silent on the other end. "Look its hurt, maybe we can do it again, weaken it some more!"

Misato shook her head. "No, won't do any good. It may look impressive but I'm pretty sure all that damage is superficial." She glared at the titan trying to see if perhaps she could be wrong. "Besides, with what we unloaded just now, I doubt these guys have much left to spare and I doubt their old boss up there is going to let them go re-arm."

Toji was becoming furious. things were going from bad to worse and no one was doing anything about it. "So we're just going to sit here and do nothing? I'm not letting Akagi-san die like this!" He looked around franticly, something gleaming catching his eye. "I'll do it myself if I have to!"

He then darted past Misato, knocking over others in the process as he made his way to one of the vehicles nearby. Jumping up onto the back he opened up a weapons cache, before anyone realized what he was doing he had grabbed and armed an RPG. He did so more easily then a teenage boy should have been able to, but then videogames could be blamed for that one.

With weapon in hand Toji ran out in front, ignoring the screams of warning from Misato and the hands of the older men trying to pull him back. He scaled around until he was dead set in front of the monster and looked straight up at it. The Eva could paid no attention to him, its gaze was still occupied on something invisible. From his spot Toji could see Ritsuko now, from his view he had a perfect angle and could see her struggling in the maw of the giant beast. She was blackened from the previous attempt at destroying the thing, but still her eyes shone brightly in defiance.

Those green eyes opened one more and locked with Toji's own. She saw what was in his hands and for a second that seemed more like an hour, the two simply stared. Ritsuko broke that gaze, blinking back to reality and began to shout. Toji saw her mouth speaking words and although he could not hear her, he knew what she was asking.

"_Do it.__"_

With arms shaking madly, he raised his weapon and took aim.

"_Do it!__"_

His aim was too shaky, the monster was moving too erratically. "I can't do this!" he said to himself, his finger ready to fire but his heart and confidence holding him back. "There's no way I can do this…"

_Yes you can. _His breath stopped at the voices in his head

_Let us help you._

He knew those voices, they were familiar and calming and now all around him. He turned his head to the right and saw Shinji standing there looking like he always did. His ghostly friend put a hand on his shoulder and Toji felt his body relax, the trembling arms became steady and the pounding in his heart slowed.

He smiled to his ghost like friend and took up aim again, but as he looked forward he saw Asuka this time, holding the long barrel of his weapon taking some- if not all – of the weight so the boy could steady himself even more.

_Look _

Asuka pointed up to the FalseEva, guiding Toji's eyes up the monstrous nightmare. A violet mist began to take shape before his eyes, his breath lost as unit 01 materialized above and around him. But that wasn't all, there was something behind the FalseEva as well, something larger then the titan itself, something he had seen before.

Unknown to the smaller beast whose gaze was still fixed on the purple haze before it, a giant red ghost stood behind the NaokoEva. Toji couldn't believe his eyes, he looked around at everyone else but no one seemed to notice the ghostly forms of Evangelions 01 and 02. Nor did they seem to notice as the FakeEva struggled in its grasp.

02's hands shot forward, wrapping around from behind and gripping the titan's top and bottom jaw. The NaokoEva tried in vain to grab at the arms that clawed at its face, only to have its own hands pass through the ethereal form harmlessly. It shrieked in a loud high pitched mechanical tone that could only be taken for terror, as the massive ghost-like hands pried open its jaws wider than physically possible.

Asuka looked back to Toji, who was in a state of both shock and amazement at the sight before him. She smiled.

_Do what you must. We will guide you._

Toji silently thanked them, and pulled the trigger.

Like an angry demon the weapons projectile streamed into the sky passing through the image of Unit 01 in the process. The image vanished into smoke, and through that mist came forth the rocket and more. The speeding projectile was surrounded by the violet mist, the smoke taking the shape of a massive armored fist clenched tightly as it cut through the air powering the projectile even further, changing it.

From inside the maw of the beast Ritsuko watched in total awe as the fist drew closer. "Thank you, Shinji." She said quietly, and closed her eyes. The False Evangelion stood no chance as Toji's rocket hit home.

Fire spewed from the Eva's mouth as the RPG detonated. The colossal beast falling to its knees, a deep mournful sound coming from it as it burned from the inside out. Then, as if something internal caught aflame the giant MAGI orbs began to flare and explode one by one. Melchior, Balthasar, and finally Casper burst apart as the false Eva cried out, its arms reaching towards the heavens before its entire head exploded in a massive ball of flame.

There were cheers down below as the giant thing fell to the earth dead. Cheers from all except for three individuals, who could only stare in shock.

The beast may be dead, but there was no way anything inside could have survived that. Their friend was gone.

* * *

They searched. It was all they could do really. The men around them now looked completely lost. With nothing ordering them, nothing bribing them with food and shelter they had nothing to do. They started to go their own way, some went back down inside what was left of the rebuilt Nerv facility, and others simply dropped their weapons and began walking towards the city.

Misato, Toji, and Maya however couldn't leave just yet. They had to make sure.

For hours on end they searched the charred wreckage blasted to the point that metal was reduced to burnt pieces of slag, while flesh and bone were reduced to nothing but black chunks of coal. No one questioned how one small projectile was able to do so much damage, but then after everything that's happened, who would want to?

The three of them stayed in the vicinity of the head, working together to move the larger remains knowing there was little chance what they were looking for would have been anywhere near the larger mass of the body that remained.

This was the fifth pass, and still, through tired bloody hands and hot tears they trifled through, hoping to find some trace of life or even a sign that their friend had even existed in the first place.

The outlook was grim; they knew that fact and ignored it. It was Maya however that ended the search, falling to her knees with a sharp cry, her hands clutching something close to her as she sobbed in exhaustion.

Toji and Misato ran to her side afraid perhaps she had hurt herself or had indeed found their friend. Misato had to hug the smaller woman tightly to her in order to stop the sobs, and was finally able to see what she held so close to her.

In her hands were the remains of a silver necklace, the chain all but burned away leaving behind the burnished profile of a running panther.

* * *

**Six months later.**

The humidity for the day was high, higher then normal, but the cool breeze that softly ruffled the woman's dark violet hair made it bearable.

Misato sat on the sand looking out at the vast sea of orange. The subtle waves intertwining with motion of the clear water that was becoming visible again. People had returned, lots of them of all ages, and as a result the sea of LCL, at least the one here in Tokyo-3, was finally beginning to recede.

The population was nowhere what it used to be; yet still problems quickly began to rise. Looting, gangs, fighting over food and clothing. It was by luck Lieutenant Red had come back early. The same whose name was tagged on the gear Misato had borrowed. With his help there was soon a … well… she wouldn't call it a police force but they did use the gear and the stations. Toji quickly got involved with that, and with his experience so far he was now a valued member of police militia. Misato didn't doubt he would be chief of police sometime in the near future.

Maya on the other hand volunteered to help the injured, along with those men who were having difficulty de-toxing off the drugs that the Naoko Akagi program had brainwashed them with. When she wasn't needed she would be helping to restore the power grid to the populated areas of the city. Her technological and programming skills came in handy there, and the surviving people were grateful when the lights came back on. What Maya did look forward too was spending her time helping Fututsuki and PenPen back home at the bar. The owner has yet to return, and they secretly hope he never will.

Misato let out a long sigh. She didn't have to be here. In fact she was probably needed back at the makeshift military base they constructed just on the outskirts of the demolished NERV facility, where temporary General Katsuragi kept all those men and their big toys in line. She doesn't have a clue as to why they insisted she command them. Maybe she made a good impression during the battle with the false Eva, maybe they just like her for her looks. Either way it kept her busy.

Her eyes drifted over the odd colored sea, her mind wondering if perhaps anyone would come back today, perhaps even someone she knew. Not Shinji- that she was certain of. Even if he had not made an appearance since that day of nightmare Misato knew he was off somewhere better, happier. Shinji didn't need to come back, and somehow she was positive that he was watching over them all.

Kaji perhaps? She doubted it. He had died well before third impact occurred. But still, she would wait just in case.

There was one other she was waiting for, but… Misato knew Ritsuko wouldn't be crawling out of the LCL. Misato actually hoped that her friend, that giant green-eyed creature would come and find her instead.

If she lived_. _

As devastating as that explosion was, there was no evidence of Ritsuko's death, no remains, nothing. Misato had kept her hopes to herself, seeing as how the others believed she had indeed perished on that dreadful day. Maya and Toji had finally started to move on, she didn't want to set them back now.

A deep growl came from behind her, and without even turning her head Misato raised her hand behind her to gently stroke the chin of a wolfwere. It reciprocated by shoving its nose into her neck, nuzzling her playfully.

"Cut it out Cujo." She chuckled at the thing, all her previous hatred for these creatures melted away as the large mutant greeted its mistress. "You're supposed to be digging for crabs, I'll play with you later."

The armored wolf mewled unhappily; not wanting to dig in the sand again yet still obeyed its master. Misato didn't turn to make sure 'Cujo' went to do his job instead of hide under a bush and nap in the shade like he usually does, she didn't really care honestly.

There weren't many crab sightings these days, without anything controlling them the Crabdogs were simply too stupid to do anything else but hide in the sand and wait to ambush newcomers. Obviously Misato wouldn't stand around and let them, and now everyday there was a small group of people combing the beaches and open grasslands, armed to the teeth, and ready to destroy whatever creepy crawly they found.

For a time they were doing the same to the wolfweres as well, until someone realized they were just like dogs and could tame quite easily. Without the MAGI controlling them, they soon started looking to people for food and shelter. Some adopted them as guard dogs, most went to the military and police groups used in eradicating the more annoying crabs.

Misato had at first, unwillingly, bonded with a young one when she stumbled upon it shortly after the False-Eva incident. She didn't have the heart(or rather the ammo) to kill it and instead nudged it into the tall grass and left it to its own fate. She soon found it had followed her home and no matter what she did, couldn't get it to leave. Toji then convinced her somehow to keep it.

Misato let out another long sigh as the sun went down. No one came back today. No one came back from the LCL, no one came back from the dead.

She felt the large presence behind her again, more deep growls directed into her right ear. Misato rolled her eyes, Cujo may have looked like a beast but he acted like a spoiled puppy more often then not.

She raised her hand again to acknowledge him. "Cujo, I said I'd play with you la-" Her hand did not connect with fur or shell this time, instead her hand came in contact with something flat and hard.

"I bet Penpen doesn't approve of your new pet. I always knew you were a dog person deep down Misato."

Misato turned immediately at the voice, kicking up sand beneath her as she twisted herself around. Her hand was still in the same spot, afraid that is she moved it the image before her would disappear. She just sat there, eyes wide and mouth slightly open.

The green-eyed figure kneeling before her raised an eyebrow, then looked down to the palm that was planted firmly on her abdomen. "You know, if you wanted to feel my abs you just had to ask nicely." Ritsuko joked, more amused by the shocked expression on her old friend's face.

"Thank goodness…" Misato said unmoving from her spot, she couldn't bring herself to move just to make sure the feeling under her hands wasn't an illusion. "Thank goodness!" she said again before throwing her arms around her friend in a long overdue hug.

Misato then abruptly let go, and punched her friend square in the jaw. "You stupid bitch where have you been!"

Ritsuko blinked, the strike barely enough to bother her still took her by surprise. "Well you know," A large hand rose to rub at her jaw. "I was sort of caught in a giant explosion that ended up destroying a mini Eva."

"Why… why didn't you at least leave a sign! Anything to tell us you were still alive!" As much as she was delighted to see her friend again Misato was fuming.

"Because, I didn't know if I was." Ritsuko's eyes darkened as she looked down to the sand beneath her memories of pain and confusion coming back to her. "I was surviving on instincts, hiding from everything and hunting whatever I could find out there. I can't even tell you how I lived through the explosion, I have no memory of getting away."

Misato suddenly felt guilt wash over her, she acted too quick and now regretted hitting her friend like that. "Rits I'm sorry, I…"

She looked her friend over, becoming aware of the faint scars and burns crisscrossing Ritsuko's arms. She raised a hand to trace painful looking markings that ran down from her friend's neck and disappear under the shirt she wore. There was no way Misato could ever imagine what Rits had gone through. "These still look painful."

"It's okay." Ritsuko replied as Misato continued to find more and more scars.

"The fact you didn't come find help means you're sneaking around still." Misato deduced since most of the burns looked somewhat healed. "How come you decided to come back at all?"

"You heard my mother yourself, there's more MAGI out there. I couldn't just leave everything to you guys now could I?" Ritsuko tilted her head and smiled, those long canines behind those lips as frightening as ever. "But that's not important at the moment. I wasn't able find Toji this morning so I followed your scent instead. Is he… ok?"

It was Misato's turn to smile now. She didn't ask for Maya, or Fuyu, she asked for Toji. It was no longer one sided, she cared for him as well. "He and Maya went on a little trip to get away from things, I'll fill you in on them as we go."

Misato began to lead the way with Ritsuko following behind. There was one thing that had been bugging Misato since that day, but was too afraid to ask the others lest they think her crazy. "Hey, during the fight you saw them too right? The Evas, were they really there?"

"They were." Ritsuko replied. "Sort of. That's something I don't have an explanation for and frankly I don't want an explanation for it."

Misato felt the same way and was just glad to hear she hadn't gone completely nuts. "So... Shinji?"

"Is in a better place were he wont feel afraid anymore. He's happy now, that's all we need to know. "

Misato sighed, not really understanding but she trusted her friend's answer.

"I'm glad then, after everything he deserves a happy ending."

* * *

The woods were no longer quiet. Birds and insects had begun to return along with other forms of wildlife. The world was coming back alive again made proof by the singing and chirping of the creatures within.

Toji and Maya walked along slowly, their feet crunching in the fallen leaves and twigs below, enjoying the sights and sounds of nature without a care in the world. Their hike soon brought them to a clearing and a unnatural cliff ledge, one of many that had formed during all the fighting between angels and Evas. This particular one looked down on the near ruined city with a brilliant view.

Toji walked to the edge and sat down, his eyes scanning the buildings below and even further out. He could see the crater that used to be Nerv along with the black stain that was now the resting place of the psychotic Naoko Akagi program.

"I still can't believe we survived it all." Maya said as she sat down next to the young man and let her legs dangle over the edge. "I just wish Sempai could be here with us, she'd like this view."

"Yeah…" He replied lazily, his mind wandering elsewhere at the mention of that name.

Maya didn't like his mood today, ever since the day the nightmare was defeated Toji had become uncharacteristically quiet. She understood why, and no amount of talk or praise for what he had the courage to do that day would pull Toji from his pseudo depression.

She didn't feel like wasting this beautiful day however, and decided to at least attempt to cheer him up.

"Hey Toji, of all the things she was capable of. What was you're favorite?" She asked him out of the blue. The young man simply looked to her for a second trying to figure out exactly what Maya meant.

"You mean Akagi-san?" He asked, Maya nodded in response and he looked over the city as he thought about it. "I dunno, the roar I guess."

Maya tilted her head at him, a bit surprised. "Really? Not the jumping or being able to bench press a small car?"

Toji shrugged as he picked at the grass under him. "Well yeah, but the roar was loud and scary. With the roar she could frighten things away and not even have to bother with jumping or strength." He got to his feet then and stood at the edge of the cliff, being mindful not to get too close unless Maya yell at him.

"Her roar was a warning, keep messing with me and you'll regret it!" he took up a defensive stance then and took in a deep breath. He released it in his own roar, though it didn't sound nearly as loud or as frightening as his old hero's version.

"You call that a roar?" Maya laughed as she got up and decided to play along with him. It was rare to get Toji to do anything remotely fun, so she grabbed onto this chance while she still could. Her attempt wasn't much better however, sounding more like a dying cat than anything else.

"We're pitiful, Ritsuko-san would be laughing at us." Toji said with the briefest hint of a smile, such an elusive thing now-a-days. "Come on, lets try together."

Maya nodded, then moved closer so she was directly next to him. Counting to three they both inhaled deeply and then… a deep loud reverberating roar shook the air. Both of them froze completely as the sound washed over them, it was so deep they could feel it rumbling in their chests, so loud it caused their ears to ring.

The two of them just stood there frozen solid. Maya slowly looked to Toji and he to her, their eyes wide like a deer caught in the headlights. When the echo of the roar died down they both worked up the courage to turn around.

There, standing in the grass a few feet away with the biggest smirk on her face, was the one they were just pretending to be.

"Sem…pai?" Maya whispered at the sight of her old mentor. "Is it really you?"

"Hey guys." Ritsuko said almost shyly, a little worried they would be angry at her for being gone for so long.

Tears began to stream down Maya's face, and before she knew it she was running full charge at her Sempai. Ritsuko had to kneel to take the hug from the smaller woman who was giggling and crying at the same time, overwhelmed that her friend was alive.

"Hey Toji, I don't get a hug from you too?" Ritsuko asked when Toji didn't move. The whole time he had stayed were he was, simply staring at the woman in front of him.

Finally he blinked, and without another word ran straight into her arms. She caught him easily, and lifted him up to take his embrace. He squeezed so hard he would have crushed her if he were strong enough, as if he was trying to make sure she was the real thing. But then he did something else, his mind probably did not even register what he was doing until it was too late. He planted his lips to hers, and kissed her deeply.

Ritsuko's eyes shot open as she felt his lips crushing hers, not quite sure what to think of it. She did the next best thing – she didn't think of it at all.

Toji pulled away suddenly, as if he suddenly came to the realization of what he was doing. He was still held in her arms shaking at the sight before him as tears began to stream down his face. "I'm sorry, I'm just…" He began to break down then, all the emotion he held inside from that fateful day breaking free. "I thought I had killed you, I thought it was my fault you were gone I'm just glad you're back... I'm so sorry! "

"It's all right Toji." Her face completely red and her eyes set on him, she knew the other two were probably just as surprised but she couldn't dare look at them now. She hugged him tightly to her then and waited for him to relax. "You saved us all, everything is all right now."

After a few moments he loosened his grip enough that she could put him back down. she then looked to everyone around her knowing they would protest what she was about to say. "Listen I didn't come to stay, I just thought you would like some closure. I will leave shortly."

"What no!" Toji suddenly grabbed hold of her again, holding her tightly. "Aka… Ritsuko… You can't leave… not after everything we've been though."

She had anticipated this, but still was having trouble coming up with a way to explain. "Toji… I'm a monster. I've been one since birth, my mother made sure of that." She growled long and deep as images of her so-called mother came to her. "Besides, you've proven your not a weak little boy, you don't need me to protect you anymore."

"I know that... but… that's not why I want you to stay…"

Misato couldn't help but let a huge a grin slowly creep across her face from ear to ear as she realized what Toji meant. She looked over and saw that Maya was doing the same.

"Toji…" Blushing slightly, Ritsuko didn't exactly know what to say. "You don't want to be with a dirty old crazy cat woman like me. Not to mention… I'm not exactly human." She made her point by easily pulling him from her person and placed him on the ground in front of her.

"I don't care! I…" He never finished. Ritsuko silenced him by kneeling down and lightly pressing her lips to his. It wasn't meant to be intimate, but it was enough to calm the boy somewhat. He grabbed hold of her again, pulling her tightly around him until he looked almost lost against her larger frame.

As she pulled away Toji could do nothing but stare at her. She rested her heavy hands on his shoulders as she looked down at him, saddened by the tears in his eyes. "Toji, I have no future. I would never be accepted into society, not like this. You on the other hand have your whole life ahead of you with the opportunity to make something great of yourself. Live Toji, live for Shinji and Asuka. Live for Misato and Maya and even Kozo. Move on."

"But… I want you to stay…" he whimpered, suddenly unable to look her in the eye.

"I promise I will always be nearby. You will see me again." She nudged him in the shoulder playfully trying not to let his heartbreaking expression get to her. "Besides, there are other MAGI out there that need squishing. When you guys are ready I'll definitely be by your side."

The young boy nodded, understanding fully that this was for the best. He finally looked back up to her, a small smile breaking though his sadness as he watched her back away.

"Rits…" Misato added quietly. "You really don't have to hide…"

"I do Misato. I may look okay but I assure you I'm not so confident with what's going on up here." She placed a clawed finger to her temple. Ever since the first signs of her transformation began she had been struggling with her own mind. The scientist and the wild animal twisted within did not get along very well, and every now and then her wilder side would win out on the conflict. "Until I can settle that war I'm dangerous to everyone. This is for your safety." She walked to the cliffs edge, tearing her gaze painfully away from the three of them.

"I'll be around. Until then, Misato, take care of Penpen."

With a final nod to her friends, she jumped away.

* * *

**A/N**

Pfffffffffft, I still have no clue where this crazy thing came from, I must have binged on sugar or something I'm just glad a few of you enjoyed it. Thanks for sticking though on this odd ride, even though it became obvious I lost interest in this (due to life mostly) quite a few chapters ago. I'm still amazed I actually got around to finishing it.

Thank you to all that left reviews and feedback, and especially to those who urged me to continue on when I had pretty much given up. I appreciate every single word you have sent me. :3

I hope others enjoy this as well, and thank you for reading.


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